Tesla’s eagerly anticipated Semi is making good progress. When outfitted with the larger of the two available battery packs, the electric vehicle is touted to have a towing range of 500 miles when fully loaded. If Elon Musk’s claims are true, the Semi recently demonstrated its range by pulling 81,000 pounds over a lengthy distance.
In a brief post congratulating the team on travelling 500 miles, the Tesla CEO, who is also the boss, stated as much on Twitter, where he is also the boss. Other than the truck travelling a certain distance with a full load in tow, little is known about the route.
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The Semi has an expected range of 500 miles and a gross combined weight of 82,000 pounds, according to the Tesla website. A large 1,000 kWh battery pack powers the Semi’s range, according to our friends at InsideEVs. A battery with a smaller capacity of 600 kWh is also available, giving the truck a fully loaded range of about 300 miles between charges. In around 30 minutes, fast charging may restore 70% of the total range. The company calculates an approximate $200,000 in fuel savings over three years based on Tesla’s data on charging versus diesel fuel consumption.
Notably, the 500-mile range is predicated on highway speeds on flat terrain. The Semi’s precise route during this most recent test as well as its speed are unknown. Truckers might be more interested in the Semi’s capacity to climb five-percent gradients at highway speeds than in the truck’s claimed ability to accelerate to 60 mph in 20 seconds with a full load.
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The Semi has had a difficult journey to manufacturing. It made its premiere in 2017 alongside the new Tesla Roadster, albeit it’s clear that the auto industry has faced some challenges since then. Although the new Roadster is still not here, initial customer deliveries of the Semi are anticipated to start in December.
