Tesla has turned the delivery of its first Tesla Semis into an event streamed on YouTube. It was an opportunity to learn a little more about certain aspects of his electric truck.
After watching the December 1 Tesla event on YouTube, one almost feels like driving the Tesla Semi to check out everything Elon Musk has to say about it. According to him, the Semi is ” as easy to drive as a Model 3, even without training, just think bigger “. However, his arrival behind the wheel of the Tesla Semi was a bit hesitant. Fortunately, the entrepreneur had the good taste not to end up in the background.
More than just a truck, Elon Musk made it clear that it is a model from the Tesla range. It must be said that the boss of the American car manufacturer did not fail to draw many parallels between the truck and the rest of the range: performance, driving, practical aspects.
Will the Tesla Semi inspire new vocations among Tesla fans?
By comparing his truck to the different models in his Tesla range, Elon Musk could give rise to new trucking vocations.
Well aware that drivers are always looking for the best work tool, Elon Musk did not lack superlatives to highlight the Tesla Semi: “ if you want the best truck, it’s here », « he has crazy power », « his style is impressive », « it’s fun to drive », « very fast to accelerate, but also to brake », « it’s like driving a car, not a truck of this weight »
The most surprising thing is to see that the Tesla Model S/X Plaid and the Tesla Semi have more in common than it seems. The Tesla Semi incorporates the three-motor system developed for the two Plaid models over 1,000 horsepower: 2 front motors for acceleration and transmitting torque, and a rear motor to maintain highway speeds. Engines that fit in your hand, compared to large diesel-powered truck engines. For Tesla, this is a new stage in road transport.
The whole thing allows for amazing performance, Tesla notably broadcast a video of a Tesla Semi towing huge concrete beams doubling with disconcerting ease another truck on a 6% climb. This performance is certainly not achieved without affecting the autonomy of the battery, but then all it takes is a descent to recover some of this energy with regenerative braking.
Moreover, regenerative braking allows Tesla to emphasize the safety of its truck. This is a big improvement for the brand, because the trucks will be able to descend from the mountains and arrive at the bottom with cold brakes, and without having wasted this source of potential energy. No risk of overheating, and therefore of brakes giving way at the worst moment for the driver.
The Tesla Semi is designed for performance, but also to make life easier for the driver:
- It has a Tesla infotainment system.
- He can stand up in the cabin.
- He enters through a door behind his seat and has a space (like a vestibule) which allows him to remove equipment, hang a coat, before settling in his driving position.
A set of little things that seem rather well thought out for the daily life of truck drivers.
A range of 800 km verified in real conditions
Tesla also reintroduced the charging infrastructure for trucks, which is set to expand. These stations will combine much more powerful terminals, with new charging cables with integrated liquid cooling.
It was also an opportunity for the brand to highlight an 800 km (500 mile) test route. Of course, it was clarified:
- that the truck was loaded with cargo,
- that he was driving in real traffic conditions, without cheating,
- that the trip was done in a single load and a single toilet break for its driver.
The United States is not Europe. It remains unclear whether the Tesla Semi could make its appearance on our roads. In any case, Tesla is in the process of succeeding in its bet to support the transition to electric for a wide variety of vehicle categories. It still took Tesla 5 years to release the Tesla Semi.
Finally, we were perhaps expecting a surprise announcement from Elon Musk during this evening of delivery to Pepsico of its first electric trucks. On the occasion of the Tesla Semi announcements, Elon Musk also presented the Tesla Roadster. We had high hopes of having a reference on this subject on December 1, 2022, but this is not the case. The Tesla Roadster is even strangely absent from this presentation, which is not a good sign for those who have made their reservation for 5 years. Only an allusion to taxi robots allows us to imagine that this will be Elon Musk’s new toy in the years to come.