A Look at The First Electric Semi Trucks : Tesla Semi

By ​Jason Mueller

For more than ten years now, Tesla has been making news because of their electric cars and other environmentally friendly products including solar panels. In November 2017 however, on top of introducing a modern update to the Tesla Roadster sports car, the company took a giant leap from an automobile or an electric SUV to producing an electric semi-truck.

According to company CEO Elon Musk, the Tesla electric semi can travel up to 500 miles per charge even when it is carrying a load that weighs up to 80,000 pounds. The truck also features Tesla’s Autopilot System which can help with lane centering, cruise control and speed assist among other features.

Let’s take a look at some of the other features that the semi will have.

• The Tesla semi can go from 0-60 in just five seconds when no trailer is attached.
• The Tesla semi can go from 0-60 in just twenty seconds with 80,000 pounds of cargo.
• The windshield is made from impact resistant glass.
• The Tesla semi can lead a whole convoy of semi’s while on autopilot.
• The Tesla semi has sensors that work to prevent jackknifing.
• The cabin is large enough for a driver to stand up inside.
• The driver seat is in the center which allows better driving view for the driver.
• Monitors inside the truck offer blind spot monitoring and navigation assistance. ​

Elon Musk has claimed that the Tesla semi-truck is so durable that drivers won’t need to worry about breakdowns at all for at least one million miles. Another amenity of the semi is that it offers integrated communications that allow the driver to communicate with dispatch in real time to schedule pickups or deliveries or to gather other important information while on the road.
Tesla is already offering reservations to purchase their electric semi-trucks and companies including Walmart and FedEx are already in line to purchase as soon as they are ready to roll.

---

Other Companies Entering the Race

While Tesla may have a lead on the electric vehicle and the electric semi-truck market, they are not the only company in this race to be environmentally friendly with their green initiatives for motor vehicles.
Peterbilt announced this year they are partnering Meritor and TransPower to build and market their own line of electric semi-trucks.
The plan at this time is to spend a year testing the all-electric drivetrain as well as the engine and other truck components to see how many hours it will operate on a charge, what the driving range is and also the requirements that will be necessary for charging and maintaining the trucks. The overall goal at this time is to be able to compete with diesel fuelled semi-trucks and they hope to have the trucks operational and on the road by summer 2018 for testing. 
Nikola Motor Company has plans to manufacture electric semi-trucks at a new plant in Arizona. This not only means more electric vehicles on the roadways, but it also means employment opportunities for those who work in the auto manufacturing and lithium battery industries.
Other companies including Thor Trucks, Daimler and Cummins are also expected to show what they can do with the introduction of their own electric semi-trucks this year and moving into 2019.
According to a1autotransport.com, shipping a semi-truck is no different than shipping any other motor vehicle, so during testing of these large electric semi-trucks, it is quite possible you may see one being hauled back and forth while the companies are working the kinks out to ensure they are ready to market and sale to the public. Thankfully for the environment, these companies are determined to show success and it is highly likely that in coming years these electric semi-trucks will take over the roads and replace diesel powered trucks.