Elon Musk announced the production of a new Tesla semi truck last November from his studio in Hawthorne, California. The fully electronic freighter boast new innovations in safety, technology, and fuel economy with hopes to revolutionize the industry. Its sleek design sports an aerodynamic body for increased muscle appeal. Tesla is scheduled to begin production in 2019.
The Benefits of the Tesla Semi
According to the man himself via Twitter, “It can transform into a robot, fight aliens and make one hell of a latte.”
While certainly far from mythical, the Tesla semi truck has a long list of promised features. The future of the trucking business looks green, effective, and, above anything, safe.
Here are a few advantages every fleet should know:
(1) Technology Superior
Themed liked a racecar, the interior of the Tesla Semi is built with simplicity in mind. The only physical button you find is the emergency flashers. You’ll have just two large touchscreens for all your roadside and navigation needs. All routing and ELB connectivity is wired into the beautiful displays to streamline the haul job and give drivers confidence in any circumstance.
Despite the modernized computer gear, you don’t need to have “tech genius” on your truck driver resume! Everyone program is user-friendly with a smooth interface to allow seamless operations for every job.
Then, sensors around the truck’s body send information to the computer to track all system efficiency, including hydraulic stability, fueling, and knifejacking.
Enhanced Autopilot
The most notable tech improvement comes standard with the Enhanced Autopilot integration, meaning semi-autonomous driving potential on the highway for every OTR driver! Anything can happen on the road – but a self-thinking car can greatly reduce driver error.
For example, the Tesla Semi Enhanced Autopilot be equipped with the following:
- Lane keeping assist
- Increased visibility with 360-degree view cameras
- Forward collision detection with auto breaking
- Match speed condition of traffic
- Automatic lane changing and exiting of a highway
(2) Environmentally Friendly
American has roughly 268 million cars. That’s second only to China. Our carbon footprint on the world is both damaging to our environment and costly our wallets. Semi trucks in America are the biggest contributors of harmful pollutants that often cause respiratory issues and even cancers. Truckers on driving jobs deserve better for their health and wellbeing.
Green vehicles produce zero emissions. You can further help the environment by charging your semi using green energy, like solar panels.
Using clean electric vehicles will reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil and keep our cities free of smog.
(3) Cost Effective
The official Tesla estimate for the semi lands around $150,000 with an additional $20,000 to reserve your order on the release date. That’s a hefty price tag for many small business trucking companies. The offset this, Musk is offering several deductions to fleets with a corporate leasing program. And, if you choose to buy at the end of the lease, you’ll have a 2-year pay period.
Tesla pledges a generous 1 million dollar no breakdown guarantee and only uses the highest standard equipment for lowest insurance rates. The electronic charging should naturally cost less than diesel, Musk claiming as much as 20% cheaper. Plus, the vehicle still has a comparably large fuel capacity with its approximate 300-500 mile range.
In the long term, the Tesla Semi should save you much much money with reduced roadside incidents, improved delivery times, and greater overall operations.
Of course, one downside is you’ll have to charge at designated Tesla stations, limiting your fleets fueling capabilities. It’s also hard to predict the lifespan of the rather expensive (and heavy) batteries.
What Do You Think of the Tesla Semi?
Not every long-haul trucking company has the ability or interest to invest in an electronic fleet. Like most innovations, changes will come slowly. Still, this announcement is a huge step forward that gives us a real opportunity for a cleaner air, safer roads, and an empowering, fun experience for truckers everywhere.
What do you think of new Tesla Semi announcement?