When people think of Tesla, people think about luxury car’s or Elon Musk. Soon, there will be one more thing to add to the list. Semi-trucks.  

The Tesla Semi

The Tesla Semi has been in the works for a few years now. It was supposed to be released in 2019, but during the first quarter earnings call for 2019, Tesla announced that the production would be delayed until 2020.

Musk had previously stated that the company would attempt to make 100,000 Semi’s a year, but due to release delay, that will have to wait another year.

Tesla’s President of Automotive, Jerome Guillen said, “Next year we will start production. We are very happy,we are driving the trucks extensively with so far, I think, quite amazing success, yes.”

Along with the announcement of production delay, there also hasn’t been any news about where these Semi’s are going to be manufactured.

Semi News 

The first time anyone had every heard about the Tesla Semi was when Elon Musk announced it back in 2017. When he announced the Semi, he also announced that there would be two battery options: a 300-mile range pack and a 500-mile range pack.

They also announced a new charger known as the ‘Megacharger’. This new charger will add 400 miles of range to the Tesla Semi in 30 minutes. This charger will be ten times as powerful as the ‘supercharger’ which is the currently available for Tesla owners.

After the announcement of the Tesla Semi, some high-profile companies have put down very large deposits for semi’s. The companiesthat have reserved a few hundred of these trucks include, UPS, Pepsi and Walmart.

Even though Musk said that the release of these Semi’s would be in 2019, it was expected to be delayed because Musk is known to delay his release dates. Most people assumed that they wouldn’t release them until 2020.

Though the release has been delayed, it doesn’t mean that the production was halted. The Tesla Semi has been spotted across the United States several times.

The cost  

It’s no secret the Tesla’s are pretty costly cars. The Tesla Semi isn’t any different. The base price for the Semi’s will be either $150,000 or 180,000, depending on which battery range is selected. The base reservation fee for each vehicle is $20,000 for each semi.   

Though the costs seem pretty high, Tesla’s website claims that there will be more than $200,000 in fuel savings. The savings makes the car’s price worth it. The semi is also estimated to have a two year payback.

The design

Just like the rest of the cars created by Tesla has special design and technical features that are lined up for the Semi.

Technical specifications: a high-end luxury truck

This Semi is promised to go 0-60, with a full load in 20 seconds and 5 seconds without a load. It is also promised to go 60 mph up a 5 percent grade. When the Tesla Semi is introduced, Musk wants the truck to be able to out perform regular diesel trucks.

The Tesla Semi is also supposed to come with software features that the Model S and the Model 3 have, that will set them apart from the competition. Musk announced that the Tesla Semi will be equipped with the ‘Enhanced Autopilot Features’.

The Tesla Semi will have automatic emergency breaking, auto lane keeping and forward collusion warning.

The Tesla Semi will also have the a software side that will allow them to enter a ‘Convoy Mode’ with other Semis. This technology allows the Semi’s to draft semi-autonomously. This reduces energy usage by lowering wind resistance.   

The interior design

The design is unique and will set the Tesla Semi apart from the competition, especially because of the cockpit design. The Tesla Semi’s driver’s seat is in the center of the cockpit, similar to those of other Tesla’s.

There will also be touch screen controls on large displays on either side of the steering wheels. Right now the prototypes also have a color availability of silver, matte black and red.

Electric cars + Solar Cars = The perfect match

To power Tesla’s Supercharger and their new and upcoming Megacharger, Tesla has started to install solar and battery packs at charging locations. This helps the company add a cheap and clean energy option for Tesla drivers while they recharge at these charging locations.

Solar energy is expected to to continue to be essential to Tesla’s charging system with the addition of the new Megacharger.