Elon Musk has announced that Tesla is to start production of a fully electric lorry with a range of up to 500 miles. The tech entrepreneur and engineer said the first trucks will be delivered to the Pepsi drinks company later this year.
In a short tweet issued at 12:50am on Friday, the billionaire entrepreneur stated: " Excited to announce start of production of Tesla Semi Truck with deliveries to Pepsi on Dec 1st!" Two minutes later he added: "500 mile range & super fun to drive."
Tesla says the truck can do 0-60mph in 20 seconds , fully loaded, and maintain highway-level speeds even up steep grades. It says: "With less than 2 kWh per mile of energy consumption, Semi can travel up to 500 miles on a single charge. Recover up to 70 percent of range in 30 minutes using Tesla’s Semi Chargers."
Within three hours Musk's tweet garnered 60,000 "likes" and 6,000 replies, some of which were not exactly welcoming. The Tesla Semi, an all-electric class 8 truck, was first unveiled five years ago with the aim of rolling the first ones off the production line in 2019. However, it became delayed, with a revised deadline of 2023.
But then Musk surprisingly announced in August that the Tesla Semi would start shipping this year. Today, he confirmed that Tesla had started production of the electric truck which would have a range of 500 miles on a single charge and that Pepsi would get the first deliveries on December 1.
It was reported in 2017 that the drinks company had ordered 100 electric trucks to add to its fleet. Tesla has since installed what it calls a Megacharger station for the trucks at Pepsi's Modesto facility in California.
According to industry experts, the Tesla Semi has the potential to be a gamechanger in the trucking industry with its 500-mile range and efficiency of less than 2 kWh per mile. Accountants estimate that the cost of running the trucks will be around half the cost of running the diesel counterparts. With firms spending more than £70,000 a year on fuel per truck, halving that cost could be very tempting to potential buyers interested in going electric.
The lorry is thought to cost Pepsi around £160,00 per unit, although there may be tax breaks that could bring the cost down by £36,000 if a US subsidy program is approved by the US authorities.
Pepsico, the manufacturers of Mountain Dew drinks and Doritos tortilla chips, has said it would use the trucks to take its snacks and drinks between its factories and distribution centres as well as to shops and supermarkets.
If the truck proves a commercial success, it could lead to the electrification of the entire HGV industry, significantly cutting emissions from freight transport.
Although Musk's tweet has generated excitement in many quarters, there are sceptics who are asking about the truck's capability in extreme weather conditions, in carrying heavy loads, and coping with mountainous roads. Truckers are also questioning the economics surrounding the time and distance drivers are legally allowed to work and are pointing out that many more supercharging stations will be required.
However, one British Twitter user commented: "I know the US may differ, but in the UK logistic routes of large companies are determined by how far can be driven in a single shift. Trailers are passed on in a relay fashion for larger distances, so at a glance these would be ideal for this use here."
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.
Find recommendations for eating out, attractions and events near you here on our sister website 2Chill
Find recommendations for dog owners and more doggy stories on our sister site Teamdogs
