Elon Musk, the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Tesla, has officially unveiled the production of Tesla Semi, and commenced first deliveries.
Tesla Handovers Semi Trucks to PepsiCo
First announced by the company in 2017, the Tesla Semi truck was supposed to go into production in 2019. However, it was delayed due to the pandemic and parts shortage. The first Tesla Semi trucks were delivered PepsiCo, who has reserved 100 Semis five years ago after the launch. Based on Bloomberg report, the Semis that delivered the final piece of a $30.8 million project, partially funded by the California Air Resource Board.
Musk has confirmed that the Carbon Sleeved Plaid Motors, already being used in the Model S and Model X Plaid versions, which absolutely destroy every other electric motor on the market with an insane power curve, will be placed inside the Tesla Semi.
Powered by four independent motors on the rear axles, the Semi is able to accelerate 0-60mph in 20 seconds, and has a battery range of up to 500 miles. The triple motor setup allows for boosted acceleration thanks to 2 motors on one of the axels which have a high gear ratio to produce high torque. These motors can also be completely disconnected to save energy and not needlessly drive the transmission. Musk also revealed that Tesla has developed a new liquid-cooled charging connector capable of delivering 1 megawatt of direct current power.
The company is also moving to a 1000 Volt architecture which will reduce wiring, increase charging speeds, and enable V4 Supercharging on the Cybertruck and the Tesla Semi.
Tesla is positing the Semi as the future of trucking. The company claimed that the cost of ownership of Semi is lower. Charging electricity approximately 2.5 times cheaper per mile than refueing with diesel. Operators can see estimated fuel saving up to $200,000 within the first three years of ownership, with remote diagnosis, over-the-air software updates and fewer moving parts to maintain. Therefore, operator will spend less at service centre and spend more time on the road.
