Tesla Semi Trucks

[Amazing Larry]

This might be an area where they can actually be profitable. 

 

[gotbeer]

I'm sure truckers will like having to stop to charge up their batteries.  In addition to adding a huge amount of weight to a 40 ton max total load.  

There is a reason why Nikolai Trucks abandoned electric and went to hydrogen.  

[Blarg]

I was at the Tesla dealer just yesterday and told the sales person the car was impractical for long touring. She asked where I wanted to go and and she proudly types into the navigation system the route from Brea to Missoula, Montana and displayed the charging stations along the 15 fwy. 

I tell her that's not the route I take, I go straight up the 93 through Nevada and Utah and avoid the detour through Salt Lake City. 

She admits, "Uhhhhh... Well you can't take that route."  Then asks why I want to take that way and my response was, does it matter? I don't want to go to Salt Lake City. I don't want to have to wrap around and add another 2 hours of drive time and I want to visit places in Idaho, pull over and do some fishing. 

The trucking route will be the same thing. Stay on the main interstate or you will be waiting 10 hours to get charged up at some RV park.

[nate]

The trucks are not designed for long distances.  They will have about a 250 mile range so they will be more for shorter distance trucking routes.

Additionally, the truck yards that they service can install superchargers that will charge them in 30 minutes so it's not like they could only be used once a day.

[Stradling]

My understanding is trucking is highly regulated.  They can only drive so many miles or so many hours then they need a certain amount of hours to rest.  Maybe that factors into this?

[arch stanton]

I don't think there's a reliable network of charging stations for long haul trucking but for local routes it should work fine

[nate]

34 minutes ago, Stradling said:

My understanding is trucking is highly regulated.  They can only drive so many miles or so many hours then they need a certain amount of hours to rest.  Maybe that factors into this?

For the super long distance stuff they have sleeper cabs and two drivers.

[AngelsLongBall]

3 hours ago, nate said:

The trucks are not designed for long distances.  They will have about a 250 mile range so they will be more for shorter distance trucking routes.

Additionally, the truck yards that they service can install superchargers that will charge them in 30 minutes so it's not like they could only be used once a day.

Correct.  This will be a homerun for Import/Export business into the Port.  The Port of LA/LB is the single largest polluter (emissions) in LA County

[AngelsLongBall]

4 hours ago, Stradling said:

My understanding is trucking is highly regulated.  They can only drive so many miles or so many hours then they need a certain amount of hours to rest.  Maybe that factors into this?

It is very regulated. 

The self-driving trucks of the future will be the ones that will handle the long hauls.  These electric ones will be the ones that go from the local freight terminal to the deliveries and pickups.

[nate]

https://jalopnik.com/the-tesla-semi-truck-will-go-0-60-in-5-seconds-with-a-c-1820532013

[AngelsLongBall]

I'm just reading the article and was going to attach the link.  That is damn impressive.  Also will go 65mph up a 5 percent grade and 0-60 towing 80,000lbs in 20 seconds.

[gotbeer]

25 minutes ago, AngelsLongBall said:

I'm just reading the article and was going to attach the link.  That is damn impressive.  Also will go 65mph up a 5 percent grade and 0-60 towing 80,000lbs in 20 seconds.

The one thing I can't find is how much does this thing weigh.  In the US, the max weight total of both cab and cargo is 80,000.  An average semi weighs 15-20k, with an empty tractor and trailer combining around 30k.  Carbon fiber for the cab is pretty smart, since carbon fiber is a lot lighter than fiberglass or metal.  

The Tesla Truck: Doubts Abound

[Angel Oracle]

I just heard about this today on KRTH-101.   Long Beach Port has those trucks now.

[Spirit]

Great ... just what we need.  Another death machine on the road.

 

 

[mrwicked]

The roadster doing 0-100km/hr (60mph) at 1.9s is just hilarious. 

The torque required to do that is obscene. Plus the poor tires..

[Jobu]

41 minutes ago, Geoff said:

Great ... just what we need.  Another death machine on the road.

 

 

Except this one is controlled by AI, not meth.

So if it kills you, you probably had it coming.

[Spirit]

25 minutes ago, Jobu said:

Except this one is controlled by AI, not meth.

So if it kills you, you probably had it coming.

Oh, it will kill you.

 

 

[Tank]

2 hours ago, Geoff said:

Oh, it will kill you.

 

not if, but when.

[Stradling]

16 minutes ago, Tank said:

not if, but when.

Wednesday

[nate]

Walmart says they ordered 15 of them already. 

[Vegas Halo Fan]

Even with the impracticalities of some routes, this could be useful if it turns out to work as it should. Eliminating fuel costs from some delivery routes could be huge.