The thing which may prevent truck companies from ordering Tesla Semis

[neroden]

Tesla's extremely bad attitude about releasing repair manuals.

Truck companies are used to being able to do a lot of their own maintenance and repairs. Tesla is unreasonably hostile to releasing repair information on their cars, and has massive backlogs on actually doing repairs themselves.

Will trucking companies tolerate this? I think this may stifle adoption of the Tesla Semi. And I don't think Tesla's going to fix the problems, because they've had years to fix it, and they've shown a bad attitude.

 

[glide]

Regular people don’t want to put up with Tesla’s BS around repairs.

No fleet is going to do it and no private owner will either. Being down costs a lot of money and puts their reputation on the line.

 

[Rockster]

I can imagine that the question of repair is top on the list of potential trucking customers. If Tesla was smart they would establish a repair facility within each major customer's hub.

 

[Brando]

Welcome | Tesla Service

above is where you get your service manuals

 

[Brando]

I can imagine that the question of repair is top on the list of potential trucking customers. If Tesla was smart they would establish a repair facility within each major customer's hub.

Trucks that cost less to maintain.
Trucks that cost less to run/fuel.

Trucks that are cheaper & faster to repair.
Replace electric motor vs InternalCombustionEngine - which one wins?

building repair facilities - not so much - sounds like the old paradigm waiting to be disrupted

 

[Uncle Paul]

Imagine that Tesla will offer a certification program for their in house service facilities.

They do this with certified body shops. Techs must be trained on proper repair proceedures, and they must purchase the specialized tools to properly repair the vehicles.

imagine that trucker fleets will be happy to not need to work on the heavy, massive and filthy diesels.

 

[david_42]

I suspect most trucking companies would do exactly the same thing with Tesla trucks as they do for any other manufacturer: send mechanics to Tesla for training and stock parts at their depots. If you have several hundred trucks that are the same, this approach makes sense. I haven't worked with trucking companies since the '80s, but I doubt things have changed much.

 

[Tezlanian]

I can see where you're coming from but there's less to maintain and repair in the first place. The bigger issue I see is when a software issue arises and costs the company money. A lot of goodwill going to be burned there.

 

[neroden]

I suspect most trucking companies would do exactly the same thing with Tesla trucks as they do for any other manufacturer: send mechanics to Tesla for training and stock parts at their depots. If you have several hundred trucks that are the same, this approach makes sense. I haven't worked with trucking companies since the '80s, but I doubt things have changed much.

Sure! The question is: will Tesla let them do that? Or Will Tesla be *stupid*?

Tesla refuses to train independent repair people for their cars and refuses to give them manuals unless forced to by law and refuses to sell them tools. Nobody can figure out why, since it's stupid, but that's been their bad attitude.

 

[ccutrer]

Sure! The question is: will Tesla let them do that? Or Will Tesla be *stupid*?

Tesla refuses to train independent repair people for their cars and refuses to give them manuals unless forced to by law and refuses to sell them tools. Nobody can figure out why, since it's stupid, but that's been their bad attitude.

I think it’s pretty obvious why Tesla wants tight controls of repairs. Look at the body shop situation. 3rd parties that are paying to play, and getting trained, and it’s still a complete shitshow.

 

[neroden]

I think it’s pretty obvious why Tesla wants tight controls of repairs. Look at the body shop situation. 3rd parties that are paying to play, and getting trained, and it’s still a complete shitshow.

No, it's not.

It's obvious why Tesla wants to *have* in-house service centers.

What's not obvious is why Tesla is *obstructing* people from doing their own repairs. There are always going to be people who want to. Just as there will always be non-Tesla body shops.

 

[Brando]

@Neronero please read: Tesla’s new President is known as ‘The Fixer'

Jerome Guillen - seems SEMI project not developed by the immigrant but rather a real industry insider, right?
This fellow (from my outsider view) seems one of the most competent people in the trucking industry world wide.
If Jerome is as successful with SEMI as he was with Model S ... imagine SEMI domination similar to Model S.
That is a very tall order - we shall have to see how it goes.
The more you research all that Jerome has done, the more impressed you'll be.
Tesla names new president of automotive operations

side notes: Tesla training news stories
Tesla launches a new education program to train a new generation of electric car technicians
Tesla launches training programme for EV technicians - electrive.com

 

[Brando]

SEMI Trucks and personal cars are very different markets. All the reasons are obvious, right?

Truck companies have professional (full time) mechanics - car owners don't.
Truck companies depend on their trucks to make money - car owners, not so much - they can use many alternative in a pinch.

 

[hmgolds]

Precisely. I would not assume that Tesla will operate the same way in the commercial truck market, selling to large fleets, as they do in the passenger market.

 

[AMPd]

SEMI Trucks and personal cars are very different markets. All the reasons are obvious, right?

Truck companies have professional (full time) mechanics - car owners don't.
Truck companies depend on their trucks to make money - car owners, not so much - they can use many alternative in a pinch.

Not only that but when your car breaks down tesla has a loaner. They won’t be able to do that with a truck

Tesla will HAVE to sell parts and training information to their semi customers. There’s no way anyone is seriously going to consider a Tesla if they can’t work on it if it breaks down

 

[Brando]

Not only that but when your car breaks down tesla has a loaner. They won’t be able to do that with a truck. ...

Oh, that could be another disruptor. imagine spare SEMIs at Service Centers just waiting for any break-downs. Send out a tow-truck with replacement SEMI at the same time! What price could Tesla sell this "SEMI extended warranty/Roadside Service" ? As Tesla gathers all this SEMI data they could one day do the numbers ... of course the fleet owners should be doing the same to optimize their truck purchases. The world is not always so rational in my brief experience, but an interesting point.

BUT since SEMI probably works fine on just 3 motors (maybe even 2 ??) ... well the electric motor is probably the least likely to break, right?
4 gear boxes are also redundant.
Broken windshields? Oh, yeah, Tesla already has that covered.
Info screen? Oh, yeah, that is already redundant.
Brakes? 4 regen motors + disc brakes (no doubt dual system just like all cars) + trailer brakes.

Just what would cause a TESLA SEMI to break down on the road?
Driver disabled - Oh yeah, Tesla slows down and stops and calls for emergency - (replacement Driver not the SEMI).

[legacy diesel trucks: cooling/oil system leak; broken belt; diesel motor; gearbox; windshield]

</ramblings> that was an interesting point @AMPd

 

[CarlK]

I don't know why some say Tesla "wants" in house service facilities. Elon has said Tesla does not want to make profit from service. If outside places offer quality services there is no reason why Tesla won't allow them to do it.