Thanks for invitation, but wrong continent. It is easier to ask young relative when I seem him. I guess he drives heavier truck than you, but not one of these:
104-tonninen monsterirekka aloitti puunkuljetukset Lapissa
Total 104 000 kg
cargo 77 000 kg
length 33 m
fuel usage 65 - 80 l/100 km
Fetches wood from 68°39′N, 027°33′E, so not easiest conditions. Next sunrise at end of January.
You're right, I've only been to 75,000kg and 35m so far and 63,500kg all the way to 38m a few times (usually we go to 25m). I've run these in all conditions including busy highways and ice roads up north a few times. Nowadays I usually stay home when conditions deteriorate to -30, near zero visibility and/or snow drifts deeper than a foot.
I have newer seen or heard truck driving slower than legal limit 80 km/h, because of wind. You say crosswind is worse than headwind. Normal truck has gaps between truck and trailer and under it. Crosswind going through those gets accelerated to speed of the truck. This increases engine load. In Tesla semi those gaps are closed. So crosswind has less effect than headwind for Tesla semi.
Guess what? It happens at least a couple times every year here. In extreme winds I can out pull five axle units loaded to 80,000lb with an eight axle unit grossing 136,000lb just because I'm almost three feet lower than them. This is on flat ground, the wind hits us about 45 to 60 degrees from the left. They are impossible to get past as when they get into my leeward side they can accelerate and stay with me. The speed limit is 110km/hr and we are usually drifting anywhere from 80 to 110 depending on gusts and such.
If I understood correctly: If steering axle has less than 11 klbs on it, truck cannot weight full 80 klbs. Moving fifth wheel forward would help. But they don't need to do it. It takes years before they can produce even 1% of new trucks sold. They don't need to make truck for everybody. Truck for 1% is enough for years. They need hundreds trucks to transport their own products. Can they produce those in one year?
They don't need to because they are so heavy?
Steering car with electric motor on each wheel has been done and it works well. For example Rimac: Rimac Automobili Concept_One
Of course it will work with semi. I'm certain Tesla has tested it and found it prevents jackknifing, but I don't believe they have found all possible conditions.
Steering a vehicle with motors on each wheel isn't the issue, you stated they were controlling the steering by manipulating the motors (using wheel brakes on a farm tractor), whole different concept...
If all weight is on driving wheels, 3 s 0-60 mph causes no traction problems. For faster acceleration softer tires are needed. Those do not last long. Truck tires should last long under heavy load, not so good under light load. I don't know acceleration times on those videos or what they have done for tires. It is interesting to see effect of motor torque on truck frame.
Those are regular truck tires, there's not enough market for racing tires for trucks. Possibly Michelins as they have softer casings. Doesn't really matter, 0 to 65 in 5 seconds with a truck is totally possible traction wise.
Lithium batteries are not only theory. We know what they can do. We can roughly estimate what truck needs. Answer is not exact, but we know it is not enormously heavy...
...when they figure out how to pack at least twice as much energy into them.[/QUOTE]