Tesla has released a video showing an all-electric Semi prototype being put through its paces at the company’s test track. The electric car manufacturer first presented the Semi to the world in November 2017 and while the initial plan was for deliveries to commence in 2019, the truck has been repeatedly delayed and won’t reach the hands of customers until later this year.
The clip shows the Semi testing on a
banked section of Tesla’s test circuit but it isn’t towing a trailer. As you’d
expect, it is very quiet compared to a regular diesel truck and promises to
offer far superior performance.
When first announced, Elon Musk claimed
the Tesla Semi would have a range of 804 km under highway
conditions when towing an 36,387 kg load. He added that it would
be able to hit 96 km/h in 20 seconds with a full 80,000 lb load and
climb 5 per cent grades at a steady 104.6 km/h, compared to the 72 km/h of an equivalent diesel truck. Then, in early 2020, Musk claimed the
Semi’s range would actually sit at 965 km.
The electric vehicle industry has
progressed quite a lot in recent years so it is reasonable to assume that some
improvements will be made to the Semi before it hits production. In fact, Electrek
claims that the prototype in this video is using the company’s new 4680 battery
cells that promise to improve range.
