Tesla Unveils an Electric Rival to Semi Trucks
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/16/business/tesla-electric-truck.html
Source: By Neal E. Boudette, The New York Time
Excerpt: HAWTHORNE, Calif. — ...Elon Musk, Tesla on Thursday unveiled a prototype for a battery-powered, nearly self-driving semi truck that the company said would prove more efficient and less costly to operate than the diesel trucks that now haul goods across the country. And of course, it will emit no exhaust. In a surprise, Mr. Musk also showed he was not letting up on the car side of the business, unveiling a new Tesla Roadster that he said would be able to reach 60 miles per hour in 1.9 seconds and travel 620 miles before needing to recharge. ...It has a top speed of at least 250 miles per hour, said Mr. Musk, ... “The point of doing this is to give a hard-core smackdown to gasoline cars,” ...“You’ll be able to drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco and back.” ...He said the truck ...would have a single-charge range of 500 miles, ...go from zero to 60 miles per hour in five seconds without a trailer, and in 20 seconds when carrying a maximum load of 80,000 pounds, less than a third of the time required for a diesel truck, he said. He ...hinted that it would be costly. ...But he also said the electric truck would be less expensive to operate, in part because it has fewer components that require regular maintenance (no engine, transmission or drive shaft). Instead, the truck, called the Tesla Semi, is powered by a giant battery beneath the cab. It has two rear axles, each outfitted with two electric motors, one for each wheel. ...Tesla is estimating it will cost $1.26 per mile to operate, compared with $1.51 a mile for a diesel truck. ...It will be equipped with radar sensors, cameras and processors to enable drivers to use a version of Autopilot, the advanced driver-assistance system featured in Tesla cars such as the Model S and the new Model 3. ...Mr. Musk said Tesla expects to begin producing the truck by the end of 2019....
Source: By Neal E. Boudette, The New York Time
Excerpt: HAWTHORNE, Calif. — ...Elon Musk, Tesla on Thursday unveiled a prototype for a battery-powered, nearly self-driving semi truck that the company said would prove more efficient and less costly to operate than the diesel trucks that now haul goods across the country. And of course, it will emit no exhaust. In a surprise, Mr. Musk also showed he was not letting up on the car side of the business, unveiling a new Tesla Roadster that he said would be able to reach 60 miles per hour in 1.9 seconds and travel 620 miles before needing to recharge. ...It has a top speed of at least 250 miles per hour, said Mr. Musk, ... “The point of doing this is to give a hard-core smackdown to gasoline cars,” ...“You’ll be able to drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco and back.” ...He said the truck ...would have a single-charge range of 500 miles, ...go from zero to 60 miles per hour in five seconds without a trailer, and in 20 seconds when carrying a maximum load of 80,000 pounds, less than a third of the time required for a diesel truck, he said. He ...hinted that it would be costly. ...But he also said the electric truck would be less expensive to operate, in part because it has fewer components that require regular maintenance (no engine, transmission or drive shaft). Instead, the truck, called the Tesla Semi, is powered by a giant battery beneath the cab. It has two rear axles, each outfitted with two electric motors, one for each wheel. ...Tesla is estimating it will cost $1.26 per mile to operate, compared with $1.51 a mile for a diesel truck. ...It will be equipped with radar sensors, cameras and processors to enable drivers to use a version of Autopilot, the advanced driver-assistance system featured in Tesla cars such as the Model S and the new Model 3. ...Mr. Musk said Tesla expects to begin producing the truck by the end of 2019....