Since 2017 companies have been reserving sizable units for the highly anticipated Tesla Semi Truck arrival. However, reservations were put on hold in August 2022. Elon Musk’s original announcement 5 years ago was revolutionary as the electric truck would be changing the face of the freight transportation sector— now there will be a zero-emissions solution for the sector that contributes the highest amount of carbon emissions. Furthermore, operational costs are projected to be significantly cheaper than its diesel-driven big rig counterparts. Moreover, the overall design has Tesla boasting of its electric semi’s advanced efficiency to that of the traditional big rig hauler. 

After Elon Musk’s initial announcement of the Tesla Semi Truck concept five years ago, he announced that the Tesla Semi Truck will be ready by the end of 2022. This will be the tri-motor powertrain long-range version of the vehicle that will be launched and delivered first, which is a revision to the quad-motor powertrain that was initially announced in 2017. This could presumably be due to an attempt to facilitate a swifter start to production and public launch. Elon Musk announced that Tesla is starting Tesla Semi production and that Pepsi is going to get the first electric trucks starting December 1.

This model of the tri-motor Tesla Semi Truck has the capacity of 20-second acceleration with a fully loaded hauler and a 5% gradient to handle highway speeds. The quad-motor to be released at a further date has even more advanced acceleration and speed capacity.

This version set for delivery this year is the 500-mile variant. By the end of next year, the 300-mile variant, which is a significant reduction in cost, is projected to follow in production and sales. The 500-mile variant being released claims an electricity consumption of 2 kWh per mile and has a GCW rating of 82,000 pounds or 37,195 kg.

Some of these EV haulers have been spotted in the US, which is soliciting much excitement that the long-awaited vehicle is finally here, with official deliveries scheduled to begin shortly at the end of this year. 

Companies that have reserved Tesla Semi Trucks include the following organizations with their respective units reserved: 

Tesla Semi Truck Customer Profiles

A bit about these companies that are switching to electric fleets – many are large corporations seeking to reduce carbon emissions and provide greater efficiency to their big rig operations. Yes, Tesla is popular and has a sleek design, but some customers who have placed their orders are companies whose sole mission is to transition the freight and cargo industries to electric entirely. A company with this goal in mind is the startup, EV Semi-Fleet. The company’s operations began two years ago out of Orlando, Florida and also working out of Tampa’s Port.  EV Semi-Fleet plans to only use electric semi-trucks in cargo operations. The startup’s CEO, Jake Guerra, says he plans to add “thousands more” to his current 50-unit reservation. $1.1 million was raised for the first Tesla order with the hopes of financing future orders.

In addition, it has been reported that according to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, businesses could obtain a tax credit of $40,000 for purchases of electric semi-trucks.

The Design

The Tesla Semi is designed like a bullet for aerodynamic optimization and a sleek aesthetic. The futuristic design is not only made to maximize aerodynamics but to improve overall range capacity and charging capacity. The vehicle comes equipped with drop-down mirrors feature with a rear camera and interior screen for improved visibility. The large glass area on the Tesla Semi is referred to as the ‘thermonuclear explosion-proof glass.’ According to Elon Musk, truck glasses can be a major liability for companies as they can easily break, an average of once a year. Once the glass is damaged, the truck would not be able to be utilized– resulting in a significant revenue loss for companies with damaged semis. The thermonuclear explosion-proof glass is an enormous piece of glass that wraps around the front of the truck. The Tesla Semi’s design was made to mitigate the challenges faced in diesel-driven semis.

The Logistics

U.S law prohibits truckers from driving past a certain number of hours in a day for obvious safety reasons. The Tesla Semi was designed with these stipulations in mind when configuring the battery power capacity. Most truck routes for freight transportation are less than 250 miles. The Tesla Semi can manage mileage to and from a driver’s destination to facilitate the likely scenario of there being no Megacharger at a given destination. So, operators will be able to drive back to a megawatt charging facility or home destination after their trip. The capacity of this model is 500 miles at its maximum weight and factors in highway speeds of 60 mph.

Charging

The infrastructure of charging stations to support these EV fleets isn’t quite there yet. The Tesla Semi Truck requires Tesla Semi Chargers, otherwise known as Tesla Megachargers, to operate successfully. Only a few have been installed already, however, we are unaware of how many more are planned for installment across the U.S and Canada. Megacharger locations we are aware of include the Tesla Gigafactory 1, which is Tesla’s battery and EV component manufacturing plant located in Giga, Nevada and the Frito-Lay and Pepsi facility located in Modesto, California. Utilizing the Megacharger, the Tesla Semi can regain 70 percent of its range in about 30 minutes.

Closing Note

Tesla CEO, Elon Musk’s initial remarks on the Tesla Semi release in 2017, “In addition to consumer vehicles, there are two other types of electric vehicle needed: heavy-duty trucks and high passenger-density urban transport. Both are in the early stages of development at Tesla and should be ready for unveiling next year. We believe the Tesla Semi will deliver a substantial reduction in the cost of cargo transport while increasing safety and making it really fun to operate.”