Launching new all-electric service vehicles based on Model S and Model X next year

[avoigt]

New and exciting developments:

Electrek:

Tesla is about to come out with a new all-electric service vehicle based on the Model S and Model X vehicles, according to Jon McNeill, Tesla’s President of Global Sales and Services.

This launch in 2018 will be the opening of commercial usage for S and X. The step from using it for internal purposes and selling it to the market is indeed very small. Service EV Vehicles are a huge not to underestimate market. Also, this could be the "one more thing" and game changing moment EM referred to lately for the Semi release event.

Impact on the financial bottom line will be large.

Tesla is launching new all-electric service vehicles based on Model S and Model X next year

 

[jbcarioca]

Yes, that is exciting. There are already a number of production BEV trucks and busses in China and Europe. The innovation for Tesla service vehicles most likely will be in longer range, won’t it?

Thus far the tests for various parcel delivery and postal services depend on fixed urban/suburban routes with predefined charging options. Those are huge steps forward to be sure. Still, mass adoption will need greater flexibility in routing and longer range. Tesla has pretty well eliminated that concern for cars. Now we’ll see how they’ll do that for Semi, service and, soon, delivery too.

Exciting times!

 

[ecarfan]

That Electrek article is confusing. It quotes Jon McNeil as saying: "Some really savvy technicians on our team figured out how to retrofit Model X to fit all the tooling and parts needed to do service.” And "The executive added that they also figured out how to retrofit Model S with the same equipment. "

Which sounds like the Model X and S interior will be modified to accomodate a lot of service tools and parts.

The lead sentence in the article is: "Tesla is about to come out with a new all-electric service vehicle based on the Model S and Model X vehicles, according to Jon McNeill, Tesla’s President of Global Sales and Services."

Which states that Tesla will build a "new all-electric service vehicle based" on the S and X. And that could lead the reader into thinking that Tesla is doing more than simply modifying the S and X interior.

@jbcarioca your post talks about BEV trucks and busses and Tesla service vehicles that are EVs with longer range. That is not what the Electrek article is talking about, as near as I can tell.

In my opinion, at this point in time with Tesla focused on ramping up 3 production and showing the Tesla Semi to the world for the first time, I do not believe that Tesla is building yet another vehicle platform that would be a small "truck or bus" with longer range than the current 100D cars.

 

[jbcarioca]

That Electrek article is confusing. It quotes Jon McNeil as saying: "Some really savvy technicians on our team figured out how to retrofit Model X to fit all the tooling and parts needed to do service.” And "The executive added that they also figured out how to retrofit Model S with the same equipment. "

Which sounds like the Model X and S interior will be modified to accomodate a lot of service tools and parts.

The lead sentence in the article is: "Tesla is about to come out with a new all-electric service vehicle based on the Model S and Model X vehicles, according to Jon McNeill, Tesla’s President of Global Sales and Services."

Which states that Tesla will build a "new all-electric service vehicle based" on the S and X. And that could lead the reader into thinking that Tesla is doing more than simply modifying the S and X interior.

@jbcarioca your post talks about BEV trucks and busses and Tesla service vehicles that are EVs with longer range. That is not what the Electrek article is talking about, as near as I can tell.

In my opinion, at this point in time with Tesla focused on ramping up 3 production and showing the Tesla Semi to the world for the first time, I do not believe that Tesla is building yet another vehicle platform that would be a small "truck or bus" with longer range than the current 100D cars.

Based on that article and logic regarding "platforms" as well as the statement that the new S and X based service vehicles would require new certification, I surmise that they can indeed end out with long-range service vehicle, although nothing I can presently imagine would have "longer range than the current 100D cars". realistically they do not even need that much range so long as they have access to the HPWC's as Tesla facilities, Superchargers and the odd Destination Charger too.

Recall that the Tesla Semi is said to be based on Model 3 architecture. There are a good many ways they can make good commercial vehicles without designing them from scratch. I expect there will be a good variety of derivatives coming from Tesla during the next couple of years.

 

[ecarfan]

Based on that article and logic regarding "platforms" as well as the statement that the new S and X based service vehicles would require new certification

Apparently I am missing something: I do not see any reference to "new certification" in that Electrek article.

What I do see are these two statements:

"Some really savvy technicians on our team figured out how to retrofit Model X to fit all the tooling and parts needed to do service.”"

"The executive added that they also figured out how to retrofit Model S with the same equipment. "

So Tesla is retrofitting X and S cars. I take that to mean the interior is being modified in some way. If that is the case and the modified cars are for Tesla to use internally (not for sale) than what "certification" would be required?

 

[jbcarioca]

Apparently I am missing something: I do not see any reference to "new certification" in that Electrek article.

...
So Tesla is retrofitting X and S cars. I take that to mean the interior is being modified in some way. If that is the case and the modified cars are for Tesla to use internally (not for sale) than what "certification" would be required?

"the executive added that they also figured out how to retrofit Model S with the same equipment. The modifications are apparently important enough that the vehicles need to be approved by road authorities, which McNeill expects will happen next year."

That was the reference from Elektrek, the 'certification' term was mine, not theirs, although I'm pretty sure it's correct. Generally all new derivatives using existing platforms still must have certification from relevant authorities. Whether the vehicles are used by tesl only or sold to others they still will require regulatory approvals to be registered and used on public roads.

People who attended the Amsterdam event will have better insight but I haven't found any posts by attendees, although they may well exist.

 

[avoigt]

Would be good to get other first hand input from attendees of the event to be able to evaluate this better. Usually Elon is the one releasing this kind of information so I wonder why he did not reserve it for the earnings call.

 

[ecarfan]

the 'certification' term was mine, not theirs, although I'm pretty sure it's correct. Generally all new derivatives using existing platforms still must have certification from relevant authorities. Whether the vehicles are used by tesl only or sold to others they still will require regulatory approvals to be registered and used on public roads.

If what Tesla is doing is removing all the seating except for the driver to maximize cargo space and figuring out how to store tools and parts in the available space, and Tesla doesn't sell the S or X with those modifications, then I don't see why the government would be involved. But I could be wrong...

 

[jbcarioca]

If what Tesla is doing is removing all the seating except for the driver to maximize cargo space and figuring out how to store tools and parts in the available space, and Tesla doesn't sell the S or X with those modifications, then I don't see why the government would be involved. But I could be wrong...

I agree. However, they seem to have implied that it will be more than that. To do that they don't really need clever engineers, just clever 'loadmasters'.