BATTERY POWERED CLASS 8 SEMI-TRUCK FROM TESLA
T
esla have developed an all electric battery powered Class 8 Semi-Truck which should be available on general sale from 2021.
Since it’s unveiling at a press conference in 2017, the Semi has been undergoing rigorous trials including hauling cargo from Nevada to California. Fully charged and loaded, this truck will have a 500mile (805km) range, acceleration from 0-60mph in 20 seconds (5 seconds unloaded) and would maintain that 60mph on a 5% incline. Tesla plans to have a network of solar powered “Tesla Megacharger” charging stations where recharging the batteries to 80% would take 30 minutes. Tesla maintain that they would be able to offer a one million mile warranty (1.6 million km) with the electric powered truck as maintenance is much simpler than a diesel powered truck. Analysts predict that the Semi would be better suited for short and mid range transportation. To keep within the legal weight limits the payload is less than a normal Semi due to the weight of the batteries. Current battery technology predicts that the batteries would weigh around 11800kg which is about one third of the payload and this would
August 2020
increase the capital cost of the truck. Tesla have already taken deposits on over 2,000 pre orders of the Semi from customers. AnheuserBusch, DHL, FedEx, PepsiCo and Walmart are some of the companies who will be using the new Semi’s when they come to market. In the prototype that was shown in November, the driver’s seat was located in the centre of the cab. There was a removable jump seat for an extra passenger but no sleeping area. There were touch screen displays on either side of the steering wheel, and no other instrument panels. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the windshield would be explosionproof. Tesla said that the Semi would be equipped with enhanced autopilot as standard equipment, offering semi-autonomous capability. Using more radar devices and cameras than Tesla cars, the system would enable the truck to stay in its own lane and at a safe distance from other vehicles on the highway. It would also have emergency braking, and would warn the driver of any potential hazards near the vehicle.
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