One of Tesla Semi trucks drove 1600 miles over two days. This required two different drivers on each day. Truck drivers in the US are limited to 10 hours of driving without a long break. Semi trucks need to operate long distances day after day. Tesla Semi outrange the competing electric Semi by three to six times multiple days. Tesla can do 70% charge in 60 minutes and 90% charge in 90 minutes. 15-30 minutes for 15-35% topoff charges. Pepsi has 750 kw chargers installed. Tesla Semi were charging during the day to get operated distance.
Tesla Semi is not only beating the competing electric semi trucks on distance on a single charge but also by showing fast charging and heavy operations day after day. The Tesla Semi are averaging 300-500 miles each day while competing electric tests are in the 100-240 miles per day ranges. Tesla does have many days in the 500-810 miles of operation each day.
North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE)’s is the group running the Run on Less event. Mike Roeth of NACFE has said that the Pepsi Tesla Semi are performing some of these real world tests with 80000 lbs gross weight loads. This is within 2000 pounds of the legal maximum payloads and prove that Tesla Semi can operate at the max loads. The Tesla Semis have been driving over 400 miles on a single charge with full loads and average speeds of 65 miles per hour.
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As a truck driver for the last 12 yrs and driving all over the country. I’ll be the first to say this is all BS. First off they haven’t calculated the simple fact of nowhere is the continental united States are charges set up, installed and working to charge any of these trucks! Second, as a professional driver I can say with confidence charging times will hamper and ruin a driver’s day for federal DOT driving times, as well as the average over the road (OTR) driver will drive 500-750 miles in a day. These trucks do not allow for that kind of efficiency or workload to be completed hindering a drivers ability to make money. Europe already tried mandatory electric cars and claimed if failed miserably. I’ll buy tesla stock and grow my money but the industry should not buy into this fairtale
These drivers aren’t paid by the mile. They are union guys, paid by the hour. The trucks were not designed to be OTR long-haul. They were designed to do day runs and inner-city deliveries. they are doing that extremely well.
This sounds like a little BS How does the truck that weighs 10,000 lb more than a diesel powered truck managed to have the same payload??
How are these trucks going to pay fuel tax??
I would like to be able to haul an extra 2,000 lb payload smh
It really seems like the government is spending over backwards to facilitate these things meanwhile the traditional freight industry is paying all the freight to bring them on board
The unladen weight of a diesel semi-truck can vary between 10,000 and 25,000 pounds. I calculate the Tesla Semi 500 mile range as weighing 26,000 lbs and the 300 mile version is about 20,600-21000 lbs. Plus the EV Semis get 2000 lbs of extra max weight in North American and 4000 lbs of max weight in Europe. It is like the tractors weigh 24000 lbs in North America and 22000 lbs in Europe after equalizing the max weights and shorter range are 18,600 lbs and 16,600 lbs. They don’t pay fuel taxes. California mandates (followed by NY, NJ etc…) mean 300,000+ electric semi will be required (fleets will be forced) over the next ten years.
A typical class 8 diesel truck weights about 17,000 lbs. It needs about 2,100 lbs. of fuel (diesel). The Tesla probably is 15,000 to 16000 without the battery. Then add 10,000 for the 500 mile battery or 5000 lbs for the 300 mile battery. This is 26,000 lbs. for the truck. Take off 19,000, and you are about -8,000 lbs. compared to a typical diesel for now.
Do we know the production bottlenecks?
Trained workforce for manufacturing Semi?
Materials including Lithium/Cobalt/Manganese?
Factory capacity?
Supply Chain?
Charging Stations w/megapack?
This seems quite impressive until you consider that team drivers can drive close to this number of miles in one day of driving.
That’s 800 miles per day! One driver per day cannot do that. In 10 hours that would be a 80mph average.
Yes different drivers for the second shift in the same day.
You’re right but, the article reports two drivers.
I wrote the comment and I wrote the article. I said two different drivers but one at a time. They switched drivers after the first ten hours. I don’t understand what is unclear.
I also want to repeat in the charts of electricity usage and range, it is clear how much charge is used for typically 400 miles of driving before a recharge. When the line goes up over ten percent then the vehicles are being charged. Tiny increases are from regenerative braking. Going downhill and recapturing some electricity. Most routes do not have big downslopes.
Charge times please at each stop.
As you failed to do this.
Exact charge times stop times as a diesel rig can do that under that time by 7hrs
How many tons of cargo? ie what is the empty truck weight?
In the table, I calculate that a 500 mile range Tesla Semi can hold 22 tons (44000 lbs) of cargo (assuming a 6 ton trailer). 26000 lb Semi + 12000 lbs of trailer + 44000 lbs of payload for 82000 lbs US highway limit for EV Semi trucks. There is a 4000 lb extra limit in Europe. This would mean 46000 lbs of payload for the Euro max highway.
“Can hold” but what was it hauling?
Seriously? These are real world tests for PEPSI Tesla Semi trucks. They are hauling PEPSI. You buy PEPSI in cans and bottles. The trucks are full of PEPSI.
A previous test report I read indicated the Pepsi trucks were carrying Frito-Lay products (Pepsi owns Frito-Lay). Has an actual bill of lading been provided for the test you are reporting on? That would confirm the payload weight.
North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) ‘s Mike Roeth, the Tesla Semi trucks are hauling heavy loads.
“We’re tracking the beverage. It’s impressive, a fairly heavy haul at nearly 80,000 pounds. It goes to one location and drops off soda, but maybe picks up some waters, goes to another location to drop off water but pick up Gatorade. We don’t really know the payload, (but) NACFE has verified that these are fairly fully loaded when they leave and stay fairly loaded. They’re not out there gaming Run on Less,” Roeth said.
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