It is one of the last steps before starting production of the all-electric truck. Now sources familiar with the matter told Electrek that the drive axle production line is ready and the general assembly line is going through its final debugging before starting production. In March, Electrek exclusively reported that Tesla was building a production line for the Tesla Semi at a new building near Gigafactory Nevada to produce five Tesla Semi electric trucks per week by the end of the year. So it was delayed in 2020, which became 2021, but now things are really starting to move. Tesla couldn’t deliver the truck in 2019. When unveiled in 2017, Tesla said that it would come to market in 2019, and it started taking reservations from many companies looking to electrify their fleets. However, the electric vehicle has seen many delays that cost it its momentum. It would also have the lowest cost of operation of any semi-truck, making it extremely disruptive in an industry where every cent counts. When launching Tesla Semi in 2017, the automaker said that the electric truck’s production versions, a class 8 truck with an 80,000-lb capacity, will have 300-mile and 500-mile range options for $150,000 and $180,000, respectively. While there are already a few electric trucks on the road, none of them have the specs enabling longer range hauling in a class 8 semi-truck, like the Tesla Semi is promising. Source: Tesla Trucking on Autopilotīut back to the Tesla Semi, which will no doubt capture the attention of fleets wanting to reduce driver fatigue.After years of delays, Tesla is finally getting closer to the start of production of Tesla Semi, its all-electric semi-truck. But it won’t need to do this on the run once the company’s battery swap stations are rolled out on the east coast. With around 400km range and a 630kWh battery, it can recharge in four hours. In Australia, NSW-based Janus Electric in April unveiled its all-electric prime mover prototype, featuring battery-swap technology for trucks already on the road. Of course, the Semi is only available in the US for now. Tesla claims that as half the costs of running a diesel semi-trailer are fuel, the payback time for the Semi is two years. Interested parties are asked to deposit $US5,000 immediately and then arrange a wire for the remainder within 10 days, plus another $US20,000 for each vehicle required.
![semi truck semi truck](https://uncrate.com/p/2021/04/freightliner-ecascadia-1.jpg)
Tesla is asking for a $US20,000 ($A29,020) reservation fee. Nikola, on the other hand, has not stated the Tre’s expected price but only mentions a potential $US150,000 rebate for Californian fleets through the state’s s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP). The “expected base price” of $US150,000 ($A217,680 converted) is for the standard-range Semi and $US180,000 ($A261,210 converted) for the extended-range variant. Perhaps surprisingly though, Tesla Semi pricing is not – as Tesla boss Elon Musk might say – “high”. However, Tesla has not provided key specifications including GCWR, battery size or charging speed. It has 240kW charging for a recharge time of 120 min (20-80%) and 480kW continuous power. Other specs include a gross combined vehicle weight rating (GCWR) of 82,000lb (37 tonnes). By comparison, it offers a top speed of 58km/hr up a 6% grade, and up to 563km driving range from its 753kWh battery. Only weeks ago, e-truck competitor Nikola opened orders for its battery-electric Tre. These are specs that are not for the faint-hearted. While Tesla did not specify energy capacity, its website says the Semi can offer either 300 miles (482km) or 500 miles (805km) of range. The Tesla Semi is available with two battery options. Tesla says that the Semi’s energy consumption is under 2kWh per mile, equating to the average power used by about 8 Model 3s. This is also thanks to a drag coefficient of 0.36 (the average truck-trailer combo is 6.08 according to this journal).įour independent motors – all on the rear axle – allow for a speed of 60mph (96.5km/hr) up a 5% grade. Perhaps top of the list is its ability to accelerate from 0-60mph (0-96.5km/hr) in 20 seconds, a feature that Tesla has described as “badass”. Having missed the opportunity of laying claim to be the first electric semi-trailer to market, Tesla has chosen instead to emphasise the performance capabilities of the Tesla Semi.
![semi truck semi truck](https://gomindsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/tesla-electric-semi-truck.png)
Tesla has finally opened the order books for its Semi electric truck after a long four-year wait held back by battery cell supply constraints.