Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/911782
26 | Overdrive | December 2017 P romising jackrab- bit acceleration, a 500-mile range and strong fuel savings, Tesla Motors announced its all-electric tractor last month. The Tesla Semi won't be produced until 2019, said Elon Musk, the company's chief executive officer. The tractor was introduced in Hawthorne, California, home to Tesla's design center and Musk's SpaceX rocket fac- tory. The price ranges from $150,000 to $200,000, depending on battery range and model. Tesla is accept- ing reservations of $20,000 per truck and developing a recharging network. J.B. Hunt Transport Services and Wal-Mart Stores have placed orders. Tesla's semi-autonomous driving platform, Enhanced Autopilot, will be standard on the Semi, which also is enabled for platooning. Its suite includes automatic emergency braking, auto- matic lane keeping, lane departure warning and event recording. The truck will be fed by high-speed Megacharger DC charging stations that pump about 400 miles of range back into the truck in about 30 minutes. Chargers can be installed at origin or des- tination points, such as fleet terminals, and along heavily trafficked routes, enabling recharging during loading, unloading and driver breaks. "400 miles is like six to seven hours of driving," Musk said. "What this means is that when you are done with your break, you'll be ready to go." The Semi's battery is simi- lar in composition to the bat- teries used in Tesla's energy products. It's designed to sup- port repeated charging cycles for over a million miles. Musk offered no infor- mation on weight, nor were specs given on torque, horse- power or battery capacity. Musk said that without a trailer in tow, Tesla Semi fea- tures a five-second 0-60 time versus about 15 seconds for a comparable diesel truck. He Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the Tesla Semi is more aerodynamic than a Bugatti Chiron sports car. Rear cab fairings further streamline aerodynamics by adjusting to the type of trailer being towed to close the gap, he said. REDEFINED Tesla debuts its sleek, electric replacement for the traditional Class 8 tractor. BY JASON CANNON Tesla Semi's cabin wraps around the center-mounted driver's seat.