The Rise of Tesla: Part 4 - TRUCKS & CYBERTRUCKS
75% of global freight transport is by road. Road haulage transportation is growing worldwide and is responsible for around one-quarter of all vehicle CO2 emissions. This is a problem and market Tesla could not ignore.
On top of this, international regulations are setting CO2 emissions standards for the years ahead. In the EU, regulation 2019/1242 aims to reduce 54 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, under the Paris Agreement from road freight. A system of credits and incentives for lower and zero-emission freight vehicles is being introduced first, to be followed by future financial penalties in the case of non-compliance from 2025.
In true Tesla style, the Semi Truck team set out to radically change the design of the traditional cab. I was treated to a presentation during my trip to their Fremont Gigafactory by members of the Semi team. They had done their homework. Measured gross tonnage to Khw of power required in a multitude of environmental settings was thoroughly researched and presented. They also involved experienced truck drivers in the cab’s design and analysed typical freight routes, truck stops and driver behaviours.
The result was the Tesla Semi Truck, unveiled in November 2017. Known as a Class-8 semi (a truck with a gross vehicle weight exceeding 33,000 pounds / 15,000 kg) the design was again, revolutionary. The driver sits in the middle of the cab facing two horizontal touchscreen displays. Tesla began testing prototypes in early 2018 to haul battery packs from Nevada to Fremont.
Tesla had secured over 2,000 orders as of early 2018 and major brands signed up for starter orders like FedEx, UPS and Walmart. Using four Tesla 3 motors and a 500-kWh battery pack the Semi will be capable of 0-60mph in 5 seconds unloaded. Of course, it’s not meant to be a sports vehicle and what matters to truckers is pulling power. Over 33,000 individual, new design, 2170 battery cells (so named due it its 21mm width and 70mm length) will be in the Semi power packs providing 800 horsepower. With promised autopilot features, as with SEXY car models, Tesla aims to ultimately build fully autonomous trucks to improve efficiency, safety and delivery times. As of early 2021, the truck is almost two years behind schedule and unlikely to be mass-produced until after Tesla begins making its own batteries.
Tesla has competition with existing manufacturers and start-ups moving into the electric truck space. Some don’t believe that batteries are the way forward, with the heavyweight to load ratios. Some, like troubled start-up Nikola, are trialling hydrogen fuel cells. Big players like Toyota, Volvo and Volkswagen also want to get in on the semi-truck electric action. Tesla is advancing their supercharger network to become mega chargers capable of charging these giant battery packs in 30 minutes or less. It is likely, and rumours have it, that Tesla will also begin developing smaller so-called “last mile” delivery vans in the future. This has become a huge market interest area with multiple start-ups moving on the van market.
In another sector, going all out on a radical new design, Tesla unveiled the CyberTruck in November 2019. In many US states, the pick-up is king. Tesla aims to break this market with something completely different to what has come before. The Ford F150 is a standard-bearer in the pickup world. Musk unveiled a “dystopian-future” style machine, claiming it to be bulletproof; he had the lead designer, von Holzhausen, try to smash its windows with a steel ball live on stage. This didn’t quite go to plan as apparently the window wasn’t fully closed during the demo, so duly shattered! Nevertheless, the CyberTruck has turned heads. It is a giant machine and plans to have pulling power in excess of even the biggest pick-ups.
As a challenge/insult to Ford, a video surfaced with a CyberTruck pulling a Ford F150 backwards as it tried to accelerate away, like prey caught in the jaws of a predator. Musk said the design was inspired by the sci-fi movie Blade Runner and the Lotus Esprit driven by James Bond in The Spy Who Loved Me. The truck’s body is made from DeLorean-like stainless steel.
The market is estimated to be worth over $65 billion annually with the US accounting for 60%. Pick-up trucks represent around 4% of the worldwide total auto market and growing. Once again Tesla has competition. New entrants like Rivian have produced a more traditional styled electric pickup truck. With over 250,000 pre-orders in the first three months, time will tell if Tesla’s extreme radical design is a winner or whether customers stick to the more traditional format.
