Expected to hit roads in 2019, new Telsa electric truck will have a payback time of just 2 years
In a bold statement, which Elon Musk is well known for, Tesla’s leader has pronounced that he is “optimistic” that Tesla will exceed previously released specs of the Tesla Semi Truck, the most promising fully electric truck, according to FN Media Group.
From rocketry to mass transportation and perhaps more pertinently to electric vehicles, Musk’s confidence in his ability to dazzle with unimaginable technology is now well known. With that in mind, it can be concluded that his latest pronouncement about the Tesla Semi is no act of empty bravado.
After helping establish the electric family saloon as the car of the future with the Tesla range of EVs, Musk has now set his sights on mass cargo transit. Musk says that his vehicle will exceed previously released specs of the Tesla Semi Electric Truck hand down.
If this does not turn out to be a truly rare case of false embellishment by Musk, the Tesla Semi Electric Truck will definitely blow other cargo truck companies out of the water. The specs released at the unveiling event in Dec. 2017 were already pretty impressive:
• Acceleration from 0 to 60 mph with 80,000 lb: 20 seconds
• Speed up a 5% Grade:60 mph
• Mile Range: 300 or 500 miles
• Powertrain: 4 Independent Motors on Rear Axles
• Energy Consumption: Less than 2 kWh per mile
• Fuel Savings: $200,000+
• Expected Base Price (300 mile range): $150,000
• Expected Base Price (500 mile range): $180,000
Even the best diesel cargo trucks would struggle to beat this performance. With the enormous savings, the company estimated that the truck, expected to hit the roads in 2019, will have a payback time of just 2 years. As expected with every Musk announcement, doubters creeped out of the woodwork.
Daimler’s head of trucks expressed reservations towards this pronouncement, arguing that the listed specs already defied and surpassed the laws of physics. One cannot bet against Elon and Tesla to prove him and other naysayers wrong. Tesla is currently testing the Semi with a number of partners and the results so far seem to have reinvigorated his confidence in the specs.
Although he did not specify the exact margins or provide an updated list of stats, he insisted that the Tesla Semi will be “something really special.”
Musk left the comments as a reply to an article on Elektrek which suggested that DHL would make substantial savings by adopting the Semi into its fleet.
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