Tesla Semi currently not available for reservation
Tesla has updated the website for its electric truck. While the option to reserve the Tesla Semi has been removed, at least for the time being, there is now mention of the planned four electric motors being downgraded to three.
The first examples of the Tesla Semi, first presented in November 2017, with the larger battery for 500 miles or 800 kilometres range are to be delivered this year after several delays, as Elon Musk recently explained on Twitter. The fact that Tesla is currently not accepting any more reservations could indicate that existing orders are to be served first, if deliveries are indeed to start soon.
Even when fully loaded with a total weight of 82,000 pounds (37.2 tonnes), consumption is said to be less than two kilowatt-hours per mile – that would be less than 1.25 kWh/km or 125 kWh/100 km. Although the drive system appears to have been changed with the new specification of three engines instead of four, the claim that a fully loaded Semi should be able to accelerate to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 20 seconds remains. The vehicle should also be able to maintain highway speed on steep inclines.
Tesla still does not provide further details on the drive, such as the arrangement of the motors or the system performance. The size of the battery is also not yet known. It remains stated that the vehicle should be able to travel 500 miles or just over 800 kilometres with the optional large battery.
Unfortunately, it is unclear whether the consumption of less than 2 kWh/mile and the indication of 500 miles range were determined in the same test cycle. If that were the case, it is very easy to calculate a battery size of 1,000 kWh. However, if the range figure was determined with an empty vehicle and the fuel consumption figure was determined with the full 37.2 tonnes, this calculation is obviously not valid.
According to the pictures on the product website, the interior concept of the driver’s cabin remains the same: the driver continues to sit in the centre, the steering wheel is very reduced as is typical for Tesla: There are only two rotary knobs and three touch control panels on each side. All the driver’s information and the images from the cameras are shown on two large displays to the right and left of the steering wheel. These are likely to be touchscreens similar to those in the Model 3/Y – just two of them.
The charging solution for the electric truck is now called Semi Charger instead of Megacharger. Tesla still does not specify the charging power, but the vehicle is supposed to be able to charge up to 70 per cent in 30 minutes.
With reporting by Sebastian Schaal, Germany.
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