Tesla Semi Delivery Event – 2022-12-01
Intro 5 years since the Tesla Semi was unveiled Attendees got to tour the production lines Tesla has not wavered from their commitment to delivering the best class 8 truck out there Why do we need the Tesla Semi? Semis make up 1% of all US vehicles, roughly a few hundred thousand today Semis account for 20% of total vehicle emissions Semis are responsible for over 1/3 of all vehicle-related US particulate emissions Tesla Vehicle Lineup Tesla wanted to make the Semi fun and be enjoyable for the drivers, “It’s a Beast” Big shortage of Semi drivers so Tesla hopes this will encourage more folks to take up over the road trucking Tesla Semi fast to accelerate, fast to brake, a big step change on what it’s like to drive a Semi truck according to Elon Powertrain & Efficiency Tesla Semi has 3x the power of any diesel semi on the road today 500 miles on a single charge with a full load First Tesla vehicle based on the new 1000V powertrain, more vehicles will use this powertrain in the future Able to leverage existing tech in Semi that is already produced at volume (power train, battery cells, infotainment, HVAC, etc.) Tried and true technology enables them to start with a more powerful & reliable initial product Tesla tested the Semi in every imaginable way including in the real world and in the lab Tesla plans to use the Semi in their own supply chains to get the most data from their own feedback loops to enable rapid refinement Tesla is already running several Semis 24x7 between Sparks, NV and Fremont, CA Tesla Semi uses drive units w/ carbon sleeved rotors just like in the Plaid Model S & X Clutched automatically so power delivery is always smooth and ready when the driver needs it 2 of the drive units shutdown while cruising on the freeway The drive units are the size of a football and something you can carry in your hands No runaway situations because there are no gears to miss and able to take full advantage of regenerative braking from drive units Traction control automatically stops the truck from jack knifing which isn’t possible with regular diesel trucks Able to accelerate up a 6% incline like Donner Pass Tesla Semi commonly has cold brakes after coming down large hills thanks to the powerful regenerative braking Tesla will post the entire video on youtube unedited to prove the range figures above 500 miles of range achieved with full load, no special aero treatment, no charging along the way, etc. 1 small resting break (30 minutes) for the driver (mandatory) Tesla Semi is shaped like a bullet 2 kWh / mi energy consumption Next level engineering required to bring the Tesla Semi to market Ease of Use As easy to drive as a Model 3 Drivers have the ability to stand up in the cab, unheard of with similar class trucks More cargo space as well for tools and other cargo Single-touch suspension dump Design team focused on a lot of typical driver workflows and developed the truck to always accommodate the driver Charging 3x the current Supercharger cable density New V4 Superchargers immerse the conductors in coolant and doing some secret sauce isolation monitoring on the backend to deliver 1MW of power The V4 charging cable used by the Tesla Semi will also be supported by the CyberTruck! Tesla is working with Semi customers to build charging infrastructure at their facilities with megapacks to ensure that operations are never disrupted no matter what First delivery Completed first delivery to Modesto factory from Giga Nevada and brought back a load of snacks
