Tesla Semi: First Deliveries of the Electric Truck

Tesla CEO Elon Musk held a press conference to celebrate the delivery of the first units of his revolutionary Tesla Semi truck.

Tesla does not do things halfway. During a press conference, the American billionaire Elon Musk confirmed the arrival of this new Tesla Semi truck, anticipated since 2017 and initially scheduled for market launch in 2019. It is therefore with a three-year delay that this model, which aims to redefine industry standards in road transportation, arrives with performances that are both economical and powerful.

Extraordinary features

The American company assures that the Semi could travel over 800 kilometers on a single charge. According to some sources, the batteries of the Tesla Semi have a total capacity of 1000 kWh. Enough to travel from Paris to Marseille without recharging. A real technological feat. The American manufacturer has implemented a brand-new cooling system. A refrigerant liquid will circulate through the cable to cool the batteries during charging. The Tesla Semi also features a different driving configuration from its competitors. Unlike current trucks, the driver sits in the center of the cabin, not on the left.

To achieve these exceptional performances, the vehicle is equipped with the three motors from the Tesla Model S Plaid. The first is used for traction on low-relief roads, and the other two develop greater power to tow a heavy trailer, which can be over 37 tons. The manufacturer specifies that the 0 to 100 km/h acceleration will take only 5 seconds empty, or 20 seconds with a fully loaded trailer. Amazing! Like any respectable electric vehicle, the “Semi” will be equipped with a regenerative braking system that recovers part of the energy.

A new version of superchargers

With three electric motors, one would expect longer charging times. However, quite the opposite is true. Tesla has developed a new version of its famous superchargers for its Semi trucks. This is the fourth generation since the rapid charging network’s inception. To charge this truck, Tesla went all out with a super-powerful charger capable of 1 megawatt, or 1,000,000 W. This far exceeds the 250 kW of the V3 superchargers. The Semi can therefore recover up to 70% of its range in just 30 minutes.

To get this technological marvel in its “Long Range” version, you will have to pay no less than $180,000 (about 170,000 €). An exorbitant price for some, but Tesla promises $200,000 (around 190,000 €) in fuel savings over 3 years of use! By 2024, the brand aims to sell 50,000 Tesla Semis and thereby conquer new market shares worldwide.

Also read: Daimler unveils an electric truck with 500 km range