Elon Musk’s iconic company presents a futuristic, electric truck with 800km of autonomy from a single charge, and its striking appearance and technology have created quite a stir in the automotive world. Tesla has yet to reveal the price or when it will be on sale, but we do know it will be called “Tesla Semi”, an authentic electric prodigy that we expect to be seen in huge numbers on our roads in the not too distant future.
The design of the Tesla truck is based on the Model 3, whose first units were rolled out last July and comes fitted with four electric motors that operate independently to control torque at each wheel. After having achieved a certain level of success with the cars (more so in the media than economically speaking), the super batteries and even the solar tiles for roofs, Musk is now setting his sights on the king of the road: the truck.
You just need to check out the design of the truck’s cab to see that Semi is introducing a whole new concept to the world of HCVs (heavy commercial vehicles). According to Tesla the core idea that motivated the engineers and designers was to improve the driving experience, make it safer to drive, and reduce costs over long distances and on fuel. The space in the cab has been dramatically enhanced as the engine is no longer in the front of the truck, and obviously, there’s no diesel tank in the back either.
The result is a more spacious cab with the driver’s seat in the centre. Tesla says this will not mean any change in the style of driving and visibility will be greatly improved. There’s also a removable jump seat for an extra passenger to the left behind the driver’s seat.
The truck’s interior doesn’t have the luxury features of the high-end Tesla models and is more similar to the Model 3, the most affordable of all the brand’s vehicles, in terms of qualities and materials. The seat adjusts to the driver’s preferences, and there are two large touchscreen displays (one on each side of the steering wheel) with all the necessary information and parameters.
There’s no gear stick, no camshafts, in fact, there’s no sign of any gears, you accelerate and brake with the two pedals, and that’s it. The truck is not designed for autonomous driving, but it does come fitted with a large number of sensors and cameras on the front, sides, and rear of the truck. Everything in the design suggests that, over time, when legislation is adapted, it will be technically possible to make the Semi a fully autonomous vehicle.
Each of the Tesla Semi’s four rear wheels has four electric motors to power this monster. The truck is designed to be constantly connected to the Internet, so you always know where the truck and cargo are at all times. The first units can be reserved starting in 2019, and Elon Musk, as always, expects his new product to be a real game-changer.