Tesla Showcases All-Electric Semi Truck

• Published On: 20 November 2017
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Founder Elon Musk has stated at the launch that the Semi is safer, can go further and is more powerful than a comparable diesel truck.

Tesla is now the latest entrant into the Commercial Vehicle segment with its new Semi truck, which Elon Musk calls the future of trucking. He also added that the engine of the truck is “guaranteed not to break down for a million miles, a number which equals more than 40 trips around the earth!"

Without the trailer, the Semi can hit 96kph in 5 seconds. Tesla also claims it can climb a 5 percent grade at a steady 105kph, whereas a diesel truck maxes out at 72kph on the same slope. The truck also uses regenerative braking to get back 98 percent of kinetic energy. On the inside, there are touchscreen displays mounted on both sides of the driver provide access to navigation, blind spot monitoring and electronic data logging.

It also gets built-in connectivity which works with the fleet’s management system to aid in routing, scheduling and to monitor remotely. The company also uses Megachargers, a new high-speed DC charging solution, on the Semi, which it says adds 644km of range in 30 minutes.

The Semi also features the company’s autonomous tech. You get automatic emergency braking, automatic lane keeping, lane departure warning and, there’s a function that lets the vehicle travel autonomously in a convoy by following the vehicle ahead.