Tesla finally delivered its first 18-wheeler semi truck to Pepsi in 2017 after making its first announcement.
It is the EV manufacturer’s first product beyond passenger cars and is formally known as the Tesla Semi. Elon Musk declared in December of last year, “If you’re a trucker and you want the most badass rig on the road, this is it.”
There are two models with maximum ranges of either 300 or 500 miles when loaded to a capacity of 87,000 lbs.
Although there are now a few Semis on the road, the cost is not yet known.
Tesla predicted in 2017 that the 500-mile Semi would cost $180,000 and the cost of a shorter-range electric vehicle would be $150,000.
Two 15-inch screens are located to the left and right of the steering wheel on the modern interior’s single central seat.
Through the use of four cameras, they not only show the truck’s speed and battery level but also practically a 360-degree vision, assisting the driver in avoiding blind spots.
The semi is intended for day excursions, hence it does not come with a sleeper cab. According to Tesla, it could receive 70% of a charge in that time. That might be very advantageous for businesses looking to lower their carbon footprint.
Several other well-known businesses have ordered the car, including UPS, Walmart, and Anheuser-Busch.
Although it’s unknown how many Tesla Semis have been ordered so far, Musk claimed during a 2018 earnings call that roughly 2,000 had been booked.
We didn’t really make an effort to sell the Semi. The Tesla CEO said, “It’s not like there’s like a continuing sales effort. Orders for Semi are opportunistic in nature; businesses approach us.
However, there are still high expectations because, according to Musk, the business hopes to sell 50,000 Semis in North America by 2024.