Tesla Semi All-Electric Truck to Be Unveiled in September

[Megalith]

Elon Musk has revealed that Tesla will be releasing a “seriously next level” all-electric semi before the end of the year. It will be interesting to see what kind of an effect an electric, autonomous truck could have on the freight industry, but I just want to know how sleek it’s going to look. Also reported today is that we will be seeing the final version of the Model 3 in July.

The driver and the fuel are the two most important costs per mile in the freight industry and Tesla could make some significant improvements with both an electric and autonomous truck. With this said, Musk did say that truck drivers will still be needed for “a few years” and therefore, Tesla Semi could possibly not be fully autonomous with the first generation. In the meantime, the electric powertrain will likely be the main feature of interest. It will be interesting to see how Tesla approaches creating what will undoubtedly be its most powerful and high energy capacity powertrain to date.

 

[CreatedTheMultiverse]

Bye bye driving jobs.
#RetrainThemAll.

 

[thejokker]

This is why self-driving cars are folly. There will be a huge backlash similar to Google-Glasses when millions of people's jobs are jeopardized by trucks and taxi's being controlled by buggy software. Every single accident will become front page news as an outraged public demands regulations that will be impossible to comply with. It will be decades before the technology will be ready for prime time.

 

[Verge]

This is why self-driving cars are folly. There will be a huge backlash similar to Google-Glasses when millions of people's jobs are jeopardized by trucks and taxi's being controlled by buggy software. Every single accident will become front page news as an outraged public demands regulations that will be impossible to comply with. It will be decades before the technology will be ready for prime time.

Well as it stands it's illegal to operate this type of vehicle via software, and i seriously doubt it changes anytime soon.

You can kill alot of people with one.



On to the tesla part, i just don't see how this will work. They get 3mpg with a load... it would take a trailer full of batteries, just to pull the trailer behind it.

 

[the_servicer]

RetrainThemAll

To do what?

 

[serpretetsky]

Do modern diesel semis have some type of regenerative breaking?

 

[Ducman69]

Well as it stands it's illegal to operate this type of vehicle via software, and i seriously doubt it changes anytime soon.

You can kill alot of people with one.

Have you seen the douchebags they have been hiring to drive these around? Just last Thursday, an 18 wheeler that was stopped five cars behind me saw all the other cars pulling up on the shoulder to bypass the heavy traffic illegally (cheating a-holes), then he decided to do the same and when a car tried to block him he called their bluff and floored it with his horn blaring.

Not to mention that truck hijackings seem to be the latest fad with Islamists.

Locked down automated big rigs will certainly eventually not only be far safer, but they will be able to drive 24x7 which will drastically increase their utility. Convoys would also be able to draft each other just inches apart and be able to form virtual trains, breaking off trucks to diverge and join other "truck trains" along the way for different routes, all able to brake and accelerate in unison.

Its just a matter of time.

I don't see why they need to be electric though, and would definitely stick with diesel. They don't even need to be hybrid, since they should be cruising 99% of the time.

 

[Verge]

Have you seen the douchebags they have been hiring to drive these around? Just last Thursday, an 18 wheeler that was stopped five cars behind me saw all the other cars pulling up on the shoulder to bypass the heavy traffic illegally (cheating a-holes), then he decided to do the same and when a car tried to block him he called their bluff and floored it with his horn blaring.

Not to mention that truck hijackings seem to be the latest fad with Islamists.

Locked down automated big rigs will certainly eventually not only be far safer, but they will be able to drive 24x7 which will drastically increase their utility. Convoys would also be able to draft each other just inches apart and be able to form virtual trains, breaking off trucks to diverge and join other "truck trains" along the way for different routes, all able to brake and accelerate in unison.

Its just a matter of time.

I don't see why they need to be electric though, and would definitely stick with diesel. They don't even need to be hybrid, since they should be cruising 99% of the time.

Have you seen the douchebags that run DOT?

 

[DukenukemX]

Well as it stands it's illegal to operate this type of vehicle via software, and i seriously doubt it changes anytime soon.

You can kill alot of people with one.

This is why Basic Income is needed. No matter what, it's going to happen. Laws can change very quickly, with the right incentives. Look at the ACA and how badly the republicans want to remove it. About 20 million Americans without health coverage? That's ok, we'll just fine more competition to fight each other for your money. Meanwhile Warlmart is telling their employee's to file for food stamps. I'm sure they'll find the money to pay for their health care.

If there's a lot of money to be made, they'll do it.

On to the tesla part, i just don't see how this will work. They get 3mpg with a load... it would take a trailer full of batteries, just to pull the trailer behind it.

Unless electric vehicles have a lot of Torque. Oh wait, yes they do. I'm sure whatever energy is needed to pull a load has already been calculated by the engineers. We're not talking about a room full of monkey's with typewriters.

 

[serpretetsky]

Unless electric vehicles have a lot of Torque. Oh wait, yes they do. I'm sure whatever energy is needed to pull a load has already been calculated by the engineers. We're not talking about a room full of monkey's with typewriters.

I think Verge's point is that you would need a sizeabble amount of batteries in a semi. I don't know if you ever compared the weight of batteries in a tesla compared to 15 gallons of gasoline... but the difference is quite large. A semi might hold 100 gallons of diesel (i believe some go higher). The same amount of energy in batteries would be quite heavy. So either the semi is lugging around tons of batteries (along with the cargo) or it stops to recharge every 2 hours. Oh... recharging... I didn't even think about that. There are definitly some interesting engineering obstacles in the way.

 

[raz-0]

I think Verge's point is that you would need a sizeabble amount of batteries in a semi. I don't know if you ever compared the weight of batteries in a tesla compared to 15 gallons of gasoline... but the difference is quite large. A semi might hold 100 gallons of diesel (i believe some go higher). The same amount of energy in batteries would be quite heavy. So either the semi is lugging around tons of batteries (along with the cargo) or it stops to recharge every 2 hours. Oh... recharging... I didn't even think about that. There are definitly some interesting engineering obstacles in the way.

Yeah it's one thing for a 40 mile commuter to plugit in every night. Trucks go tank to tank and still feel pressured to keep their schedules.

There's a lot of questions for tesla to answer on this one.

 

[nutzo]

This is why Basic Income is needed. No matter what, it's going to happen. Laws can change very quickly, with the right incentives. Look at the ACA and how badly the republicans want to remove it. About 20 million Americans without health coverage? That's ok, we'll just fine more competition to fight each other for your money. Meanwhile Warlmart is telling their employee's to file for food stamps. I'm sure they'll find the money to pay for their health care.

Yep, lets pay people to sit home, watch TV and do dope. Why would anyone bother working fast food or Walmart.

As for ACA, the Republican's should just let it collapse under it's own weight.
My insurance costs have increased faster since it was passed, and my deductibles & max out of pocket amounts have skyrocketed.

What good is insurance, if you can't afford to use it due to the high deductibles?

 

[sfsuphysics]

Ok who sees these truck being stripped down because they have like 50 powerwalls worth of batteries in them.

 

[tbonepat11]

This is such a stupid gimmick. These will be so expensive and impractical.

When the government gives a company $billions in free cash, they will do this sort of stupid stuff.

Musk is such a fraud.

 

[Epic|]

Well as it stands it's illegal to operate this type of vehicle via software, and i seriously doubt it changes anytime soon.

You can kill alot of people with one.



On to the tesla part, i just don't see how this will work. They get 3mpg with a load... it would take a trailer full of batteries, just to pull the trailer behind it.

On reasonable routes even older OTR trucks get significantly better mileage loaded.

 

[Uvaman2]

This is such a stupid gimmick. These will be so expensive and impractical.

When the government gives a company $billions in free cash, they will do this sort of stupid stuff.

Musk is such a fraud.

Billions in free cash?
Isn't that the oil companies?

 

[Uvaman2]

To do what?

Charge station attendants?
How about retirement too.. that would work also, just pay for their retirement, nothing wrong with that.

 

[rgMekanic]

This is why Basic Income is needed. No matter what, it's going to happen. Laws can change very quickly, with the right incentives. Look at the ACA and how badly the republicans want to remove it. About 20 million Americans without health coverage? That's ok, we'll just fine more competition to fight each other for your money. Meanwhile Warlmart is telling their employee's to file for food stamps. I'm sure they'll find the money to pay for their health care.

If there's a lot of money to be made, they'll do it.


Unless electric vehicles have a lot of Torque. Oh wait, yes they do. I'm sure whatever energy is needed to pull a load has already been calculated by the engineers. We're not talking about a room full of monkey's with typewriters.

Model X, 250 mile(ish) range, at 5400lbs. 425lbft of torque.

Semi, 1400 mile (ish) range, at 80,000lbs, and 1200-2000lbft of tq.

How long are your batteries gonna last? How many batteries are you gonna need to generate that kind of power?

 

[Uvaman2]

Model X, 250 mile(ish) range, at 5400lbs. 425lbft of torque.

Semi, 1400 mile (ish) range, at 80,000lbs, and 1200-2000lbft of tq.

How long are your batteries gonna last? How many batteries are you gonna need to generate that kind of power?

I'm sure the know nothing engineers at Tesla have no clue.

 

[Verge]

This is why Basic Income is needed.

I'm pretty fiscally conservative, but i agree. There's no other option. In 30 years millions of jobs out there today will be gone, plain and freaking simple.

Look beyond cars. Why aren't people trying to automate farming equipment. It's easier, less variables, and you don't have to deal with the D.O.T. Huge changes are coming, i don't have kids but if i did I honestly don't even know what career i would steer them towards.


Edit, and you're right, they have fantastic instant torque. So they are arbitrarily more efficient assuming we can get decent battery capacity. There's a reason trains have been electric for god knows how long.

 

[Verge]

On reasonable routes even older OTR trucks get significantly better mileage loaded.

Honestly man, i probably shouldn't have tossed out a number. It varies so freaking much based on load and traffic. In many cases you are correct.

 

[Verge]

I'm sure the know nothing engineers at Tesla have no clue.

Yea but look at the weight. If you scale out 5400lbs unloaded at 250mile range.. how effin heavy will a truck have to be to get 250 miles of range. It will ruin the roads.

I'm sure tesla is aiming at final mile type deliveries, not long haul.

 

[Epic|]

Honestly man, i probably shouldn't have tossed out a number. It varies so freaking much based on load and traffic. In many cases you are correct.

FWIW my dad's old Peterbilt with a 435 Detroit returned about 8 MPG running from Fredericksburg VA to DC with steel and a load of whatever on the way back. Supposedly modern trucks can do 10 or better.

 

[daringx]

I'm pretty fiscally conservative, but i agree. There's no other option. In 30 years millions of jobs out there today will be gone, plain and freaking simple.

Look beyond cars. Why aren't people trying to automate farming equipment. It's easier, less variables, and you don't have to deal with the D.O.T. Huge changes are coming, i don't have kids but if i did I honestly don't even know what career i would steer them towards.


Edit, and you're right, they have fantastic instant torque. So they are arbitrarily more efficient assuming we can get decent battery capacity. There's a reason trains have been electric for god knows how long.

They are, farming will be quite different a decade from now.

 

[gamerk2]

Yep, lets pay people to sit home, watch TV and do dope. Why would anyone bother working fast food or Walmart.

Extra money.

A UBI cleanly solves several economic problems: It more or less eliminates the need for most other federal assistance programs, drastically lowering the federal budget [and lowering taxes]. It eliminates the problem of older workers who want to retire hanging around in the job market preventing younger people from getting jobs. It eliminates the need for higher minimum wages laws [Though I note some floor should still remain] which strangle small business profits. It lowers the amount of workers in the workforce, increasing wages for everyone else. People who are confortable making $50-60 can work part time jobs, rather then slaving away at jobs they don't like.

At the end of the day: Easy to perform jobs (transportation, manufacturing, farming, and so on) are going to eventually be replaced by technology, for no other reason then cost. And at some point, society has to decide what to do about a large permanently unemployed population.

As for ACA, the Republican's should just let it collapse under it's own weight.
My insurance costs have increased faster since it was passed, and my deductibles & max out of pocket amounts have skyrocketed.

What good is insurance, if you can't afford to use it due to the high deductibles?

Mine have lowered, significantly. Though I'm in a state that didn't try to sabotage it from day 1, so maybe that has something to do with it?

Secondly, on average, costs are going up at about the same rate they were before the ACA passed. The real problem is the cost of drugs more then anything else, which is a separate issue from means of coverage.

 

[dethklokworkorange]

Yep, lets pay people to sit home, watch TV and do dope. Why would anyone bother working fast food or Walmart.

As for ACA, the Republican's should just let it collapse under it's own weight.
My insurance costs have increased faster since it was passed, and my deductibles & max out of pocket amounts have skyrocketed.

What good is insurance, if you can't afford to use it due to the high deductibles?

At the risk of starting a civil war, I was amazed to overhear a guy at the Dr's office yesterday complaining about his Obamacare plan. His cost for an office visit doubled, due to extra paperwork involved in submitting to insurance, and his $12k deductible all but ensures he won't get any benefit from it. This 70 yr old was technically "insured", but worse off than before. He's planning to take the penalty this year, because it would still work out to be cheaper for him that way.
I realize this is just an anecdote, but it was a real person's story, not just a set of generic partisan talking points. I need to start taking worse care of myself to make sure I don't have to worry about my quality of life at that age.

 

[dethklokworkorange]

They are, farming will be quite different a decade from now.

If you look at the projected population increases, advances in autonomous farm equipment, and large corporations buying up farmland, it is not hard to see the United States of Monsanto in the near future.

 

[Cyraxx]

electric semi isn't that useful. The cost to put fuel in the vehicle is pennies. The REAL question is if they can replace the person in the semi. Now that would make a real monetary difference.

 

[Insula Gilliganis]

#chimpmascots&bigbreastedladytruckerslivesmatter

I see a bleak future ahead for chimp mascots and big breasted lady truckers!! 10-4 good buddy!!

 

[krotch]

Yea but look at the weight. If you scale out 5400lbs unloaded at 250mile range.. how effin heavy will a truck have to be to get 250 miles of range. It will ruin the roads.

I'm sure tesla is aiming at final mile type deliveries, not long haul.

I think they can avoid all the government regulations by going with making trucks for truck yards first. Like massive warehouse yards where trucks come in, drop off a trailer, pick one up, leave. Then they have yard trucks that move the trailer around to wherever they need. At that point, it's private property. No need to meet government regs. From there, they can gather data and better make autonomous features. Where the truck will be dodging other trucks, fork lifts, humans, etc.

Then, they can start bringing those trucks to the road. Not sure how much of the autonomous work from the normal cars can be translated over to a truck.

 

[YeuEmMaiMai]

Look beyond cars. Why aren't people trying to automate farming equipment. It's easier, less variables, and you don't have to deal with the D.O.T. Huge changes are coming, i don't have kids but if i did I honestly don't even know what career i would steer them towards..

farming equipment is largely automated Trimble Ag Leader, Raven, etc. all offer GPS guidance and automation for spraying, planting etc. the driver is there to turn the thing around at the end of the row, move to the next field, go from and to home base, and to oversee the automation...

http://www.agleader.com/
http://ravenprecision.com/products/
http://www.trimble.com/agriculture/index.aspx


Farming is HIGHLY automated now....

One can go as far as to program the tractor to return to home base from the last field you work for the day...

 

[TAP]

Yep, lets pay people to sit home, watch TV and do dope. Why would anyone bother working fast food or Walmart.

As for ACA, the Republican's should just let it collapse under it's own weight.
My insurance costs have increased faster since it was passed, and my deductibles & max out of pocket amounts have skyrocketed.

What good is insurance, if you can't afford to use it due to the high deductibles?

We had the most expensive health care premiums before ACA and we have the most expensive after. The big difference is we have 20 million more people who can receive health care now. That is a win. Unless you're one of those dudes who goes to church on Sunday praying that people who can't afford health care don't deserve it.

 

[Sovereign]

At the very least, they're targeting the right market.

Heavy trucks use the most fuel ($70,000/yr), so operators are more willing than Joe/Jane Middle Class to pay huge up-front development costs--that's what Wrightspeed is betting on (I have no affiliation with them). That's also why lots of technology (the Internet, GPS) started out as military/government experiments. If you have some unproven but possibly huge-payoff-in-long-run tech, you've got only a few options.

1. The gov't funds something that may or may not work (see: Manhattan Project), helped unlock nuclear energy too.
2. You find a venture capitalist with a lot of faith.
3. Have a lot of money already from successful business ventures (Musk @ Tesla, at least initially).
4. You find an industry whose costs are currently so high it makes business sense for them to gamble on you (Tesla electric trucks, Wrightspeed).

 

[Epic|]

Do modern diesel semis have some type of regenerative breaking?

??? If you can make diesel from air brakes you deserve a pile of greenbacks.

 

[Dadebraafsie]

This is why Basic Income is needed. No matter what, it's going to happen. Laws can change very quickly, with the right incentives. Look at the ACA and how badly the republicans want to remove it. About 20 million Americans without health coverage? That's ok, we'll just fine more competition to fight each other for your money. Meanwhile Warlmart is telling their employee's to file for food stamps. I'm sure they'll find the money to pay for their health care.

If there's a lot of money to be made, they'll do it.


Unless electric vehicles have a lot of Torque. Oh wait, yes they do. I'm sure whatever energy is needed to pull a load has already been calculated by the engineers. We're not talking about a room full of monkey's with typewriters.

teslas are very quick in drag race , but no endurance because everything gets too hot . torque in a electric motor is current draw . i woudl like to see what motors and cables they use on a truckload that needs 4000Nm of torque , let alone the battery's to feed it . going on a long hill will prolly kill it . i guess like a locomotive every wheel of the truck will have it sown traction motor .

 

[Verge]

3. Have a lot of money already from successful business ventures (Musk @ Tesla, at least initially).

Typical Tesla people... they have no understanding how it really works.


Tesla doesn't have any money, and Tesla doesn't make any money... like none, zilch, NO MONEY. Explain how that is a successful business venture?

 

[thejokker]

This is why Basic Income is needed. No matter what, it's going to happen. Laws can change very quickly, with the right incentives. Look at the ACA and how badly the republicans want to remove it. About 20 million Americans without health coverage? That's ok, we'll just fine more competition to fight each other for your money. Meanwhile Warlmart is telling their employee's to file for food stamps. I'm sure they'll find the money to pay for their health care.

If there's a lot of money to be made, they'll do it.


Unless electric vehicles have a lot of Torque. Oh wait, yes they do. I'm sure whatever energy is needed to pull a load has already been calculated by the engineers. We're not talking about a room full of monkey's with typewriters.

So you think truck drivers are just going accept losing their jobs and income and become welfare bums? You think Americans are going to accept Basic Income (communism) and give up being the working class so everybody can become peasants ruled by the new aristocracy? A significant factor in the rise of America as a world power over the last 300 years is the American Warrior culture. Effeminate academics and their Marxist fantasies will be crushed by the son's and daughters of the men and women who fought to make America what it is.

When people die because buggy beta software BSOD and a semi takes out a family on the highway there will will a backlash. When you combine that with millions of jobs being threatened and you have a formula for disaster. Google-Glasses failed because people like you failed to consider the social consequences. The level of resistance to what you are suggesting is exponentially greater than what you assume.

Should self-driving cars and truck be forced upon America than it could become (literally) dangerous to own a self-driving car. Power to the people!

 

[TAP]

So you think truck drivers are just going accept losing their jobs and income and become welfare bums? You think Americans are going to accept Basic Income (communism) and give up being the working class so everybody can become peasants ruled by the new aristocracy? A significant factor in the rise of America as a world power over the last 300 years is the American Warrior culture. Effeminate academics and their Marxist fantasies will be crushed by the son's and daughters of the men and women who fought to make America what it is.

When people die because buggy beta software BSOD and a semi takes out a family on the highway there will will a backlash. When you combine that with millions of jobs being threatened and you have a formula for disaster. Google-Glasses failed because people like you failed to consider the social consequences. The level of resistance to what you are suggesting is exponentially greater than what you assume.

Should self-driving cars and truck be forced upon America than it could become (literally) dangerous to own a self-driving car. Power to the people!

Reality is technology is reducing the workforce. It always has and it always will. To suggest that somehow technology is going to suddenly be thwarted by the "warrior mentality" has already been proven wrong. The automotive plant near me produces more cars than 30 years ago with less than 1/3rd the workforce. Truck driving will be no different. The failure of Google Glasses has no relevance really.

 

[katanaD]

LOL man.. watching that video of the trucker hauling budweiser, when he got up out of the seat and went into the back of the truck while it was moving made me do a WTH kind of chuckle. but interesting to see

as for electric trucks, i have long wondered why they havent gone the diesel-electric route like trains have been for years. especially the long haul trucks

 

[Lizard Testes]

At the risk of starting a civil war, I was amazed to overhear a guy at the Dr's office yesterday complaining about his Obamacare plan. His cost for an office visit doubled, due to extra paperwork involved in submitting to insurance, and his $12k deductible all but ensures he won't get any benefit from it. This 70 yr old was technically "insured", but worse off than before. He's planning to take the penalty this year, because it would still work out to be cheaper for him that way.
I realize this is just an anecdote, but it was a real person's story, not just a set of generic partisan talking points. I need to start taking worse care of myself to make sure I don't have to worry about my quality of life at that age.

Weird, I thought this thread was about Tesla and not the ACA.