Tesla first showed the Semi back in November 2017. And although its production was delayed, just like pretty much all of Tesla’s other projects, the large truck was recently spotted being transported back home after what many believe was testing in Alaska. So it’s happening… eventually.
The semi was spotted this week both in Washington and Oregon, the two
states that sit between Canada and Tesla’s home base in California.
Now, back in January, the EV
maker did announce that Semis would undergo some winter testing, to
ensure the reliability of its product under extreme weather and low
traction conditions. And it appears that’s now over.
This
fully-electric commercial truck arrives with some pretty bold claims.
Among other things, Tesla pledges it won’t break down for a million
miles as it’s capable of running on two of its four independent motors.
Some have said that the red Semi in this video has developed
suspension problems already. What do you think?
Right now, Tesla’s agenda is filled with more pressing matters. The rollout of the highly-anticipated Model Y
is happening, and they need to ensure it goes as smoothly as possible.
Also, the company is trying to grow in China and building an all-new
facility in Germany.
Additionally, the 250,000+ pre-orders for
the Tesla Cybertruck makes this a primary priority. And on top of it
all, Elon has pledged medical ventilators.
The Tesla Semi is
now expected to reach the market within a year and should be available
with two range versions, providing roughly 300 or 500 miles at maximum
load. In terms of battery size or weight, Tesla has kept largely quiet,
but did boast up to 400 miles of range could be added in 30 minutes.
The Semi is said to even make trucking safer, as the ‘enhanced
autopilot’ function will warn of potential hazards or even apply the
brakes if the driver fails to react in time.