Tesla unveils electric semi truck

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After a series of delay, Tesla on Thursday released a prototype electric big-rig truck which it will start producing in 2019.

Chief Executive Elon Musk unveiled the big rig, dubbed the Tesla Semi, by riding the truck into an airport hangar near Los Angeles in front of an invited crowd of what Tesla said were potential truck buyers and Tesla car owners.

The truck can go up to 500 miles (800 kilometers) at maximum weight at highway speed, Musk said.

Tesla Semi can go up to 500 miles at maximum weight at highway speed. /Photo via Tesla

As a contrast, diesel trucks are capable of traveling up to 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) on a single tank of fuel, which Musk said are 20 percent more expensive per mile to operate than his electric truck.

The Tesla Semi can also go from 0 to 60 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in five seconds without cargo or reach 60 miles per hour in 20 seconds at the maximum weight allowed on US highways of 80,000 pounds (36,300 kilograms).

"I can drive this thing and I have no idea how to drive a semi," the tech giant joked.

Ahead of the unveiling, Tesla executives showed off the Class 8 truck to journalists, describing it as "trailer agnostic," or capable of hauling any type of freight. Class 8 is the heaviest weight classification on trucks.

The day cab has a less prominent nose than on a classic truck, and the battery is built into the chassis. It has four motors, one for each rear wheel.

The cab, which has two touch screens flank the driver, is designed with a roomy feel and a center seat for better visibility, executives said.

The cab has two touch screens flank the driver. /Photo via Tesla

The truck has Tesla’s latest semi-autonomous driving system, designed to keep a vehicle in its lane without drifting, change lanes on command, and transition from one freeway to another with no human intervention.

The electric car maker did not give a price for the truck.

Musk has described electric trucks as Tesla’s next effort to move the economy away from fossil fuels through projects including electric cars, solar roofs and power storage.

Manufacturers such as Daimler AG, Navistar International Corp and Volkswagen AG are joining a host of start-ups racing to overcome the challenges of substituting batteries for diesel engines as regulators crack down on carbon dioxide and soot pollution.

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Source(s): Reuters