In LA for Truck Unveil Tonight.
Just found this teaser.
Instagram post by Elon Musk • Nov 15, 2017 at 9:22pm UTC
Just found this teaser.
Instagram post by Elon Musk • Nov 15, 2017 at 9:22pm UTC
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It's a cab over, so it would be short enough to work with standard European trailers.
The "ears" on the instagram post suggest cameras can see everything except directly behind the trailer. This also suggests that the truck is not designed for specialized trailers.
Yes, I understand the reason for assembly in Tilburg is to lower the EU whole vehicle import tariff -- what I'm questioning is whether it will reduce to zero, as you claim. Best find in my amateur search is 4.5%:
European Commission : Market Access database : EU Tariffs
Again, I could be wrong again. What is your source, please?
Jerome has tipped us in the direction of what look like very under appreciated potential advantages of Tesla's semi,
Driver Comfort and Lower Cost
we tend to think about full autonomy as a likely Tesla advantage, but down the road.
from day 1(c. 2019) Tesla will have autopilot available built on 5 years of experience. it's all but certain a truck with autopilot will have less accidents than one without. in addition to saving lives, this will lead to lower insurance costs for the fleet owner. it will also be a very significant comfort advantage to the driver in substantially reducing the stress/workload... just imagine driving 8 to 10 hours days after day after day, with or without autopilot. from what I've read of S and X owners with autopilot this workload benefit has been greater than they had imagined. eventually Tesla's autopilot will be matched by others, but, Tesla will begin selling shortly, and no one else has a system already with proof of concept in over 100,000 vehicles.
initially when I was trying to figure out what driver comfort was about, I started wondering about heating and cooling the sleeper area at night. it turns out that it has limitations of expense (idling the motor at 3 gallons per hour per one trucker, a strategy that would cost about $5K per year if a driver idles about 1/3 of days per year) or compromised performance (there are alternatives to idling the motor, but they did not receive favorable reviews from the truckers).
I think we will see Tesla highlighting the advantage of having an EV sleeper cabinet that allows for less expensive and closer to the comforts of a home climate control and size and usability of creature comforts (TV, fridge, oven).
fwiw, here's a thread where I found them discussing the limits and costs of climate control in semis.
Sleeping in truck in winter
LiveLong&Profit
Member
Re. "there-is-no-visible-gap-in-the-video":
How about a tank steering system? (without physical caterpillar tracks but with wheels on each side synch'ed via software)
Potential:
- Stable and durable: the undercarriage could be more akin to a train than a traditional semi.
- Safer: No jack-knifing.
- Driving experience would be unique: rock-steady in straight lines, and could corner like a much smaller vehicle.
Combined with batteries mounted very close to the ground, the semi would potentially feel like a much smaller and nimbler vehicle. You could race this thing!
- Tiny turn radius: It could turn on a the proverbial dime. Easy to maneuver = time & money saved.
- Tank steering on a "normal" semi would supposedly be difficult to achieve with traditional transmission methods - not worth the huge hassle. On an all-electric platform this suddenly becomes a real possibility with surprisingly little extra cost.
- Off-road option: serious off-road, ice-road, mud-road capable: add caterpillar tracks!
Very useful in remote, flooded and/or disaster areas.
This idea might be too outlandish for the entire semi: Perhaps It breaks the culturally accepted norm of a semi too much if the front wheels don't turn? Perhaps an electric semi is already a lot to take in... Even though I expect the long-term economics to be sound or even strongly compelling, Tesla still needs drivers, fleet managers and investors to be comfortable and not worried or annoyed.
If so, the tank steering could still be used for the storage/payload part of the semi, allowing for traditional turnable front wheels.
How about a tank steering system? (without physical caterpillar tracks but with wheels on each side synch'ed via software)
Potential:
- Stable and durable: the undercarriage could be more akin to a train than a traditional semi.
- Safer: No jack-knifing.
- Driving experience would be unique: rock-steady in straight lines, and could corner like a much smaller vehicle.
Combined with batteries mounted very close to the ground, the semi would potentially feel like a much smaller and nimbler vehicle. You could race this thing!
- Tiny turn radius: It could turn on a the proverbial dime. Easy to maneuver = time & money saved.
- Tank steering on a "normal" semi would supposedly be difficult to achieve with traditional transmission methods - not worth the huge hassle. On an all-electric platform this suddenly becomes a real possibility with surprisingly little extra cost.
- Off-road option: serious off-road, ice-road, mud-road capable: add caterpillar tracks!
Very useful in remote, flooded and/or disaster areas.
This idea might be too outlandish for the entire semi: Perhaps It breaks the culturally accepted norm of a semi too much if the front wheels don't turn? Perhaps an electric semi is already a lot to take in... Even though I expect the long-term economics to be sound or even strongly compelling, Tesla still needs drivers, fleet managers and investors to be comfortable and not worried or annoyed.
If so, the tank steering could still be used for the storage/payload part of the semi, allowing for traditional turnable front wheels.
Exactly.
Just last evening walking home from a nearby restaurant, there was a (stinking) idling rig at the business next door. I presumed that is was for climate control for a cold night. I was thinking I can't wait for clean warm rigs to replace all of those...
Elon likes concise statements that catch attention and prove a point, how about,
“Our semi supercharging guarantee? Never more than half the cost of diesel for the life of your truck.”
WithTesla manufacturing all the energy generation and storage equipment needed for the solar truck stops they can offer cost predictability over an unheard of length of time for those managing fleets in the otherwise wildly unpredictable component of fueling.
“Our semi supercharging guarantee? Never more than half the cost of diesel for the life of your truck.”
WithTesla manufacturing all the energy generation and storage equipment needed for the solar truck stops they can offer cost predictability over an unheard of length of time for those managing fleets in the otherwise wildly unpredictable component of fueling.
Suspect the new 40+ stall stations with the lounges in CA are a way of creating a flexible infrastructure for the coming semi fleet in advance, while paying for itself. In other words, to get around the chicken and egg issue of growth of semi fleet/growth of semi ready SuperCharger stations, by turning on a network of SuperCharging stations today (literally) that can be picked and chosen among to readily flip from passenger vehicle to semi usage (moving around solar panels and charge ports, updating products sold in the lounge, notwithstanding) as the rollout volume and heaviest routes becomes clearer. These stations are almost certainly not solar only and so have the large grid connections that will let the semis “trickle charge” at about 150 kW overnight.
From day 1, semi owners want a network for their route, or for long haul a Tesla Semi would just not be an option. Tesla can set this “convertible network” up and have it generating cash for the next two years, rather than having to build a best guesses size network overnight. Quite a competitive advantage over any other manufacturer looking to offer a network.
Well I am certainly glad to admit being wrong.
4 motors, 500 miles range, and it comes with a roadster.
Mind = blown
Jk about the roadster btw. My mind is still blown. Elon certainly gave us a show tonight. I kind of want to be a trucker now.
Adm
Active Member
dhanson865
Well-Known Member
4 motors, 500 miles range at max load (80,000 pounds) doing 60 mph, more range if you have less load or have to deal with traffic, oh and don't forget the ability to Tesla Convoy with multiple trucks to double the range.
and Megacharger network with a guaranteed maximum price of 7 cents per kWh for the trucks that charge at a Megacharger. And room for that price to be lower depending on the state (price was for US only, probably a future statement for other countries) and any improvement in Solar PV / Powerpacks in the years to come will lower the price.
oh and he did mention torque sleep. The motors can work in pairs. The truck is faster than a diesel with only 2 motors running.
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Reciprocity
Active Member
1MWh battery for 500miles at 2kWh/mile (80k lbs at 60 mph). To charge 800kWh in 30 minute will require at least 1.6 MW charging rate. (Not sure how they can deliver on 7c/kWh.)
I don't know; maybe I would count it as close:
6 motors vs. 4 motors
1kW/mi average vs. <2kW/mi max
70% charge in under and hour vs. 80% charge in 30 minutes.
Because it is going to be from solar, they aren't planning on buying electricity.
Reciprocity
Active Member
Where is your prediction? Predicting the future is hard and stuff.
Anybody know the typical fuel efficiency for a diesel with 80k lbs at 60 mpg? I'm trying to compare to 2kWh/mile efficiency. Diesel average mpg is 6, but that is not fully loaded at freeway speeds.
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