Tesla Semi

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Tesla semi-prototypes with different roofs

Tesla Semi referred electrically powered truck - tractors ( English semi-trailer truck ) the manufacturer Tesla, Inc. , the basis on 16 November 2017, two prototypes were presented. Series production and delivery should begin in 2020, but have been postponed to 2021 due to the restrictions associated with the corona pandemic.

Structure and equipment

Cockpit of the Tesla Semi (prototype)

The Tesla Semi is a three-axle tractor whose four rear wheels are each driven by an electric motor. The driver sits in the middle and far in front, which should ensure a particularly good all-round view. The exterior mirrors have been replaced by cameras, the image of which - as well as all other vehicle, navigation and fleet management data displayed - is displayed on two 15-inch flat screens on the left and right of the steering wheel . The cab is made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic and is high enough to stand upright in it. Thanks to its streamlined shape and movable side flaps between the tractor and trailer and a completely flat underbody, a drag coefficient (c w ) of 0.36 should be achieved.

Standard features also belongs windshield of a bullet-proof glass ( armor glass ) with high breaking strength. In the United States , a truck is banned from driving if the windshield has a crack that is longer than 19mm and that intersects with another crack. Break-proof glass thus reduces downtime. In addition, the vehicle has an improved autopilot functionality (on motorways self-propelled) with anti-lock braking system (AEB), an automatic tracking ( Automatic Lane Keeping , ALK), front collision warning ( Forward Collision Warning , FCW), a smartphone app like Tesla Cars and a 1,600,000 km failure guarantee.

Performance data and economy

The Tesla Semi tractor unit should be able to accelerate from 0 to around 100 km / h in 5 seconds, and in 20 seconds with a fully loaded trailer. According to Tesla Chairman Elon Musk , the fully loaded truck can  manage gradients of up to 5% at 65 miles / h (104 km / h, according to the semi-website 60 mph or 97 km / h), while the “best Diesel trucks "can reach a maximum of 45 miles / h (72 km / h).

When fully loaded and at around 100 km / h, the truck should consume less than 2 kWh per mile, which should enable a range of at least 480 or 800 km (depending on the model variant) with a full battery. The battery should then be recharged within 30 minutes for a distance of 640 km at “megacharger” charging stations that have yet to be built and are fully powered by solar power .

Operating costs should be at least 20% lower than a conventional diesel truck of this size (diesel $ 1.51 per mile, Tesla $ 1.26 per mile, each fully loaded at 60 mph), and even lower with platooning (0 , $ 85 per mile). According to Elon Musk , the latter should make the Tesla Semi more economical than rail transport. However, it remained open how these numbers were determined. Tesla "expects" $ 150,000 for the 480-kilometer and $ 180,000 for the 800-kilometer model as the selling price. Comparable diesel articulated trucks cost around $ 120,000 today. The manufacturer stated the payback period for the surcharge for the Tesla Semi to be two years.

Pre-orders

Walmart announced an order for 15 Tesla Semis to test the new technology the day after the initial launch. Of these, 5 are to be used in the USA and 10 in Canada. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon justified the contract with sustainability goals . Walmart operates a fleet of around 6,000 trucks in total. The following day, an order for 25 vehicles was announced by the Canadian grocery chain Loblaw Companies . A deposit of US $ 20,000 is required for each vehicle ordered .

As of December 19, 2017, Tesla reported a total of 381 orders, including 125 vehicles for UPS , 100 for PepsiCo , 50 for the food manufacturer Sysco and 40 for the brewery group Anheuser-Busch . This corresponds to a down payment of $ 7.6 million and an expected order volume of at least $ 57 million.

criticism

Tesla did not publish any information about the empty weight or the useful weight of the Semi, which was criticized. The useful mass of the semi compared to diesel trucks could be limited by a large mass of energy storage. Analysts estimated the mass of the 800-kilometer model's battery to be around 4.5 to 6.4 tons. The lighter engines would result in an additional weight of around 2.7 to 4.6 tons. These calculations are based on the data of the battery technology used today, while the announced performance data of the Semi - also according to analysts - are not possible with today's batteries. Weight savings through the CFRP materials used are also not taken into account in the above estimate.

Web links

Commons : Tesla Semi  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g Elon Musk Unveils the Tesla Semi Truck & Roadster 2.0 full event , Youtube , November 16, 2017.
  2. ↑ a b c d Chance Miller: Live blog: Follow along with our coverage of the Tesla Semi event right here , electrec, accessed November 17, 2017.
  3. ↑ The Tesla Semi tackles this classic truck safety problem using tech , techcrunch.com, November 16, 2017: "Independent motors for each of the wheels. The truck can sense distribution of weight across those wheels, and actuate the motors or brake them accordingly to maximize traction control ".
  4. ↑ a b Why Walmart's CEO Is Excited About His Order of New Tesla Semi Trucks , TheStreet, November 22, 2017.
  5. ↑ a b c Alex Davies: Meet the Tesla Semitruck, Elon Musk's Most Electrifying Gamble Yet , Wired , November 16, 2017.
  6. ↑ Elon Musk Unveils the Tesla Semi Truck & Roadster 2.0 FULL EVENT , Youtube, November 16, 2017, from 8:00 p.m.
  7. ↑ Nikki Van De Walle: FMCSA Windshield Requirements , itstillruns.com, accessed November 23, 2017.
  8. ↑ a b Tesla Semi - All details about the articulated vehicle at a glance. Teslamag, accessed November 17, 2017 .
  9. ↑ Elon Musk Unveils the Tesla Semi Truck & Roadster 2.0 full event , YouTube, November 16, 2017, 3:58 to 6:20.
  10. ↑ Tesla presents Semi Truck and next gen Roadster , econaut.ch, November 17, 2017.
  11. ↑ Peter Valdes-Dapena: Tesla reveals semi-truck and new sports car , CNN Money, November 17, 2017.
  12. ↑ a b Tesla releases 'expected price' of semi electric truck: $ 150,000 to $ 200,000. November 22, 2017. Retrieved November 23, 2017 .
  13. ↑ Tesla reveals semi-truck and new sports car , CNN, November 17, 2017.
  14. ↑ a b Evelyn Cheng: Wal-Mart says it's preordered 15 of Tesla's new electric tractor trailers , CNBC , November 17, 2017.
  15. ↑ Darrell Etherington: Canadian grocery chain orders 25 Tesla electric Semi trucks , techcrunch.com, November 18, 2017.
  16. ↑ Tesla Snags Largest Truck Order Yet, UPS Wants 125 Electric Semis . trucks.com, December 19, 2017.
  17. ↑ Trefis Team: Tesla's Semi Looks Impressive, But Questions Remain , November 17, 2017, accessed on January 22, 2018
  18. ^ Robert Farris: Electric trucks could sell faster than cars, but Tesla may be aiming at the wrong end of the market . CNBC, November 21, 2017.
  19. ↑ Donn Bailey: The Tesla Semi 'Coin' Has 2 Sides . seekingalpha.com, November 17, 2017.
  20. ↑ Tom Randall and John Lippert: Tesla's newest promises on Semi Truck, Roadster break the laws of batteries . Financial Post, November 24, 2017.