Tesla Electric Truck News

[kscarbel2]

Bison Transport eager to adopt Tesla semi

Steve Sturgess, Truck News  /  November 17, 2017

HAWTHORNE, Calif. — Tesla hit the streets running with its much anticipated “semi” last night at a reveal party attended by the world’s press, Tesla officials, and employees from both the assembly plant in Fremont, Calif., and the Giga Li-Ion battery plant in Nevada. No static launch for CEO and product architect of Tesla, Elon Musk, as he stepped down from the cab of the much-heralded truck to highlight its features before a sea of fans.

And it was not just one static prototype on stage, but two models of the semi that roared into a hangar at the JetCenter, a private-plane airport adjacent to Los AngelesInternationalAirport in Hawthorne, Calif.

To rousing cheers from an audience of around 1,200 people, Musk extolled the performance features of the semi: a range of 500 miles, zero to 60 mph of the tractor in just five seconds, zero to 60 of a fully freighted, 80,000-lb tractor0trailer in just 30 seconds. But most significantly for the truckers in the audience, a cost per mile of US$1.25, comparing favorably to today’s diesel truck cost of $1.51. He did not specify the trade cycle or the structure of the financing but did say that Tesla was aiming for zero breakdowns in a million miles of operation.

According to Internet reports, truckload carrier J.B. Hunt is among the first carriers to publicly reveal it has reserved the truck, saying it has reserved “multiple Tesla semis.”

“Reserving Tesla trucks marks an important step in our efforts to implement industry-changing technology,” said John Roberts, president and chief executive officer at J.B. Hunt. “We believe electric trucks will be most beneficial on local and dray routes, and we look forward to utilizing this new, sustainable technology.”

Major North American Grocery chain Meijer also said it has placed down $5,000 to reserve four models – though reservations are reported to be $5,000 per truck. Production is due in 2019.

In reality, the reveal confirmed what the spy and tease photos had already disclosed: a cab forward Class 8 truck with exceptional smooth lines and promised great aerodynamic performance, a fact highlighted in Musk’s remarks. He said that the 500-mile range was enabled by exceptional aerodynamics, with the semi scoring a drag coefficient of 0.36, better even that the Bugatti Chiron’s 0.38. He also noted the cab side extenders that actively fill the gap between tractor and trailer also contribute to the overall low drag. Worth noting: the tractor at launch looked like a sleeper because of these long, active side extenders.

The trucks will most likely fill a distribution and drayage role, at least in the early stages. The semi is purely battery-electric.

In his presentation, Musk said that 80% of truck distribution is less than 500 miles round-trip, so the semi can get out and back on those tasks on a single charge. For longer trips, the batteries can pick up a 400-mile charge in the short half-hour break mandated by hours-of-service regulations.

And Tesla Fast Chargers are popping up all over the world, wherever Tesla sells a passenger car. So, Tesla semi trucks can realistically be recharged at shipper and receiver docks. With the electrical distribution infrastructure in place and robust, there’s no need to stop en-route at a truck stop to fuel any more, he implied.

And because many of the fast chargers are solar powered, Musk said “Anywhere a consumer can charge a Tesla you can charge the truck. Solar powered mega chargers mean the truck is running on sunlight.”

Those sneak preview pictures gave no hint about the driver environment, which is a highlight of the Tesla semi. A centrally located driver’s seat gives a commanding view behind the enormous curved windshield. The side glass flows smoothly around the A pillars that are surprisingly thin, so the driver’s view forward is excellent. The steering position with a small, car-like wheel on the model at the preview was flanked on either side by flat panel displays from the Model 3 that are customizable as in the Tesla cars. In fact, this not only represents a major advance in driver controls, it is actually cheaper for Tesla to integrate the same flat panel technology it uses in the cars.

These are completely customizable and Tesla plans to have truck-specific software to air in business connectivity for the truck. It also has a full suite of prognostics, maintenance reminders and can even have an electronic data recorder integrated to accommodate the upcoming electronic driver hours recording mandate for the USA.

The truck is also equipped with the full Tesla accident avoidance technology that prevents collisions and keeps the truck in-lane. It also includes Tesla’s autonomous driving technology, and enables three-truck platooning, said Musk. In such a case, the semi is not just cost-effective against diesel trucks of today, it is also cost-effective against the railways.

The trucking and general press had an opportunity for an up-close walk-around of the semi. One one, there was a small passenger seat against the back wall of the day cab for a riding helper or driver instructor. For anyone who attended the launch of the Nikola, there are obvious similarities to the Nikola launched last year. But there are significant differences, too. The 6×4 walk-around truck featured a drive tandem, each conventionally air sprung drive axles featuring a power pack from a Model 3 on the nose of the axle with a motor for each side, totaling four drive motors in all. Musk said that even if two motors failed, the Semi would have performance equal to a diesel truck of today.

The air-ride is conventional Class 8 with regular looking frame rails. The front axle features independent suspension for good ride. The Tesla guide said the battery pack resides beneath the cab, and a conventional fifth wheel allows for trailer coupling. The cab looks like a sleeper from the outside but that’s because the cab sides extend well back from the back of cab.

Access to the cab is to the rear of the seating position through a rear-hinged “suicide” door with three steps tapering in toward the center of the cab. The floor is stepped, presumably to allow for the batteries beneath with a step up to the driving position. The side glass is hinged down its leading edge and opens for ventilation or to pass documents down to gate guards or enforcement officers. The door glass and opposite side fixed glass do not open, removing the need for any lift mechanism that could fail in use. The door and cab sides have generous storage for documents and driver necessities.

Interestingly, the door hinges are hidden and the door handle (from the Model 3) recessed so the sides are super clean. Of the two models on display, one featured conventional mirrors, the other a visibility system with cameras mounted high toward the back of cab. There was a single pantograph-arm windshield wiper to sweep the vast windshield.

Musk joked that the glass “can withstand a nuclear explosion or the customer gets a free refund,” while emphasizing the point that the truck is optimized for minimum downtime, citing the out-of-service implications of a broken windshield.

Features like these show that the design team understands the needs of the commercial user of the Tesla product. If it delivers that operational savings promised, early customers like Hunt will be delighted. Technicians too, because the electric drivetrain is so much less complicated than the emissions-saddled diesel powertrain. But drivers? They’ll hate it if they prefer “real” trucks. But millennials – and that’s where the new drivers are to come from – will love them.

At least one Canadian fleet in attendance at the reveal – Bison Transport – is eager to try the new truck out.

Rob Penner, chief executive officer of Bison, told Trucknews.com “I was down in Santa Clara earlier and was able to test drive the Tesla “mule” (Tesla tech in a Cascadia) and the performance was really impressive. They have been running this truck for about a year moving their own parts in and out of Nevada with very good performance data. Add the styling and safety features in their own ground-up truck design and one can’t help but be optimistic about the future of this technology. We look forward to getting our hands on these trucks once they become available.”

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[kscarbel2]

I liked this artist's conception more.

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[fxfymn]

I wonder if the trailer will have to be a "married pair" for the system to function properly. I would think the aerodynamic profile of the trailer would be important to keeping the range where it is supposed to be.

[james j neiweem]

I would never have been a truck nut if I grew up in the coming new trucking era.

[kscarbel2]

One of Tesla's first Semi truck buyers is a Canadian grocery chain

Engadget  /  November 17, 2017

Tesla only just unveiled its Semi electric truck, but it's already lining up honest-to-goodness customers -- and we don't just mean for testing, either.

Canadian grocery chain Loblaws has pre-ordered 25 of the giant EVs to haul food to its stores across the country. That's a larger purchase than Walmart (which ordered 15 for its test), and no small commitment when Tesla hasn't even revealed the (likely high) price.

It may seem odd for Tesla to score one of its most important orders beyond the US, but it makes more sense knowing Loblaws' strategy.

The supermarket giant recently committed to a 30 percent reduction in its overall carbon footprint by 2030, and it sees electric trucks playing an important role. It estimates that pulling diesel from its vehicles would be the equivalent of pulling 20,000 cars from the road. Tesla's Semi would clearly help toward that goal, and it might be a better option than existing electric trucks (like one Loblaws bought from BYD) if it lives up to claims of faster trips and greater safety.

This is very unlikely to be Tesla's largest order, but it gives a sense of who its early customers are likely to be: well-heeled companies that have plenty of cargo to transport and pressure to fulfill environmental commitments. The real challenge comes after that: Tesla will have to persuade companies that either don't have a huge budget or are only interested in how electric trucks will affect their bottom line. Tesla has anticipated that to some extent (it's promising $200,000 in fuel savings for every 1 million miles), but success is far from guaranteed.

[kscarbel2]

Tesla receives orders from four companies for electric truck

Neil Abt, Fleet Owner  /  November 18, 2017

At least four companies have publicly confirmed having placed preorders for Tesla’s heavy-duty electric truck.

The companies, J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Walmart, Meijer Inc., and Loblaw have each paid the $5,000-a-truck deposit price for the trucks Tesla CEO Elon Musk said will be ready in 2019.

J.B. Hunt said in a statement it has reserved “multiple” trucks and plans to deploy them on the West Coast within its Intermodal and Dedicated Contract Services units.

“Reserving Tesla trucks marks an important step in our efforts to implement industry-changing technology,” said John Roberts, president and CEO. “We believe electric trucks will be most beneficial on local and dray routes, and we look forward to utilizing this new, sustainable technology.”

Walmart said it preordered 15 of the Tesla Semis, with five for its U.S. operations and the other 10 for Canada.

"We are excited to be among the first to pilot this new heavy-duty electric vehicle," the company said in a statement to CNBC.

Canadian grocery chain Loblaw Cos. told Reuters it had placed an order for 25 of the trucks. The company has intentions of transitioning to a completely electric vehicle fleet by 2030. Another grocer and discount retailer, Meijer Inc., told Bloomberg News it would test four Tesla Semis. The company current has a fleet of 250 trucks.

Ryder System told the Wall Street Journal it will place an initial order with Tesla, but did not disclose details.

While these firms received immediately publicity for these orders, executives with Hirschbach Motor Lines and Daseke Inc. have said the 500-mile range on a single charge would prevent it from considering the trucks at this early stage.

[james j neiweem]

One wonders if they calculate in the cost of battery charging electricity and the cost to produce the batteries. May bee they are shooting for 10.00 an hour drivers.

Edited November 21, 2017 by james j neiweem

[kscarbel2]

Can Tesla Make Electric Work for Trucking?

Seth Clevenger, Transport Topics  /  November 21, 2017

HAWTHORNE, Calif. — Tesla’s success in the passenger-car arena has changed consumers’ perceptions and pushed the limits of what’s possible with electric cars.

Can the company’s new all-electric tractor do the same for the commercial truck market?

In a splashy unveiling here Nov. 16, Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk revealed his company’s vision of electric-powered trucking with the Tesla Semi, which is set to enter production in 2019.

A few days earlier, Musk proclaimed on Twitter that the truck’s unveiling would “blow your mind clear out of your skull and into an alternate dimension.”

Although the skulls of those in attendance remained intact, the excitement was palpable as Musk introduced a zero-emissions truck suitable not only for shorthaul and port drayage, but also regional operation with a maximum range of 500 miles on a full charge.

Musk said Tesla will build a network of “Megachargers” across the country that eventually will allow its electric trucks to travel anywhere. But as with any infrastructure initiative, that will take time. Early customers likely will need to rely solely on chargers they install at their own terminals.

While buyers of Tesla’s luxury electric cars are willing to pay more for something that is fun and cool, trucking companies make their purchasing decisions based on a more sober assessment of the business case. For fleets to invest in electric vehicles, they will need to see a payback in total cost of ownership.

That reality was not lost on Musk.

In addition to fuel savings, the Tesla Semi will reduce maintenance costs and vehicle downtime because it does away with the internal combustion engine, transmission and aftertreatment equipment, he said. Musk even guaranteed that the truck’s electric powertrain will not break down for a million miles.

However, Tesla has not disclosed how much the vehicle will cost or how much it will weigh. The truck’s battery pack could take a significant bite out of its maximum payload, an important factor for fleets to consider.

Driver acceptance also will be essential, and that’s where the Tesla Semi’s radically redesigned cab could make a big difference.

The driver’s seat in the Tesla Semi is situated in the center of the cab rather than offset to the left, and the steering wheel is flanked by large touchscreens that display all driver information in lieu of a dashboard. Sitting in that seat, a truck driver might feel like he or she is piloting a spaceship rather than a big rig.

One can imagine some longtime truck drivers balking at the vehicle’s interior, but it will likely appeal to younger drivers the industry so desperately needs to attract as it faces an aging workforce and a shortage of qualified drivers. Could the opportunity to sit behind the wheel of one of these trucks entice 20-somethings to take a look at trucking as a potential career path? Quite possibly.

While Musk captured the industry’s attention with his truck unveiling, Tesla is far from alone in the push to make electric vehicles feasible for commercial transportation. Startup Nikola Motor Co. is preparing to launch a Class 8 hydrogen-electric truck designed for longhaul operation. Established truck manufacturers such as Daimler Trucks and Navistar Inc. also are jumping into electric power, as is Cummins Inc., the industry’s largest supplier of diesel engines.

Given this broad level of investment in electric power, it now seems clear that the real question is not if, but when, significant portions of the trucking industry will begin moving toward electric vehicles.

To be clear, diesel still appears to have a long run ahead of it as trucking’s primary fuel, but we may be witnessing the emergence of its eventual successor.

[kscarbel2]

Major Fleets Line Up to Test Tesla Semi

Transport Topics  /  November 21, 2017

J.B. Hunt, NFI Industries, Bison Transport Place Reservations for Purchases

Large for-hire carriers and major retailers are reserving their places in line to be among the first to test the all-electric Tesla Semi in their operations.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc., NFI Industries and Bison Transport Inc. and retailers Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Meijer and Loblaw Cos. confirmed that they have pre-ordered the truck or plan to do so. The Tesla Semi is scheduled to enter production in 2019.

J.B. Hunt said it has placed a reservation to purchase “multiple” Tesla Semi tractors, which it plans to deploy in its intermodal and dedicated contract services divisions to support operations on the West Coast.

“Reserving Tesla trucks marks an important step in our efforts to implement industry-changing technology,” CEO John Roberts said. “We believe electric trucks will be most beneficial on local and dray routes, and we look forward to utilizing this new, sustainable technology.”

J.B. Hunt ranks No. 4 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America.

Truckload carrier NFI Industries said it will expand its fleet with Tesla’s all-electric trucks to advance its environmental sustainability initiatives.

“I am eager for NFI to continue moving toward this next chapter where sustainability plays an even larger role in the story,” said Ike Brown, NFI’s vice chairman and president. “Combining Tesla’s innovative technology with the best practices NFI already has in place, I look forward to further advancing NFI’s position as a responsible corporate citizen while making our dedicated and drayage fleets more sustainable.”

With its acquisition of California Cartage Co. in October, NFI operates one of the largest drayage fleets in North America.

NFI ranks No. 27 on the for-hire TT100.

Wal-Mart has pre-ordered five Tesla Semis for its U.S. operations and 10 more for its Canadian business.

“We have a long history of testing new technology — including alternative-fuel trucks — and we are excited to be among the first to pilot this new heavy-duty electric vehicle,” Wal-Mart spokesman Ryan Curell said. “We believe we can learn how this technology performs within our supply chain, as well as how it could help us meet some of our long-term sustainability goals, such as lowering emissions.”

Another major retailer, Meijer, also plans to test the vehicle in its fleet.

“We have made a small financial commitment to ensure we are at the front of the line to test this new Tesla truck technology, which has the potential to not only reduce our carbon footprint but also realize cost savings that will allow us to keep prices low for our customers,” Meijer spokesman Frank Guglielmi said. “Once our testing is complete, we will validate several factors, including environmental impact and product safety, and make a decision on whether we will complete the purchase.”

Canadian food retailer Loblaw Cos. has placed an order for 25 trucks “and will have them in Canada as soon as they’re available,” the company said in a statement.

Bison Transport also will be in line to test the Tesla Semi, said CEO Rob Penner, who attended the truck’s Nov. 16 unveiling in Hawthorne, Calif.

“We do see potential for electric trucks in our regional and medium-range operations, so this is definitely something that we will fully evaluate,” he said.

Bison Transport ranks No. 74 on the for-hire TT100.

Penner said the electric truck has far fewer parts and appears much less complicated than today’s diesel trucks. He also cited Tesla’s design features aimed at improving driver comfort and safety.

“We will see about how they plan on warrantying and servicing the truck, but 1 million miles on the powertrain does seem logical given it is an electric motor, not a combustion chamber,” he said. “Of course the downside remains range and ultimate flexibility. At least today, the truck would have to operate in a much more confined network today than any diesel equipment.”

Penner expressed confidence in Tesla’s manufacturing capabilities. The company is producing quality automobiles and will use much of the same technology in the trucks, he said. “They have legitimate street credibility.”

However, key questions about Tesla’s truck remain.

In a note to investors, Stifel analyst Michael Baudendistel wrote that Tesla’s presentation raised more questions than it answered.

“While the truck was impressive in many ways, we’re not yet sure of the economic case for truckers,” he said.

Baudendistel said that assessing the potential return on investment starts with the vehicle’s price, which wasn’t disclosed.

Tesla also did not reveal the weight of the truck’s battery pack, which could cut into its payload capacity, he said.

[kscarbel2]

Tesla's electric event a victory for entire industry

Neil Abt, Fleet Owner  /  November 21, 2017

Last week’s unveiling of the Tesla electric truck left many unanswered questions. What’s the price tag? How much does it weigh?

Tesla CEO Elon Musk did not address those questions at his splashy party, so the finer details will need to wait for another day.

On social media, reaction was split between those thinking the Semi was the greatest thing ever and those who met Musk’s many bold claims with skepticism and sarcasm.

Regardless of your opinion, Musk deserves a thank you for raising trucking’s profile to heights it has never reached before.

Attending the event was surreal. The drinks were flowing and many were dressed as if they were at a nightclub. As Musk arrived in one of the Semis, grown men shrieked with excitement. Afterwards, a young child viewing the truck up close had a look in his eye that made me think it was a night he would not soon forget.

The enormity was obvious in the press area, where I was one of six North American trucking journalists sitting alongside dozens of reporters from around the world. There was the New York Times, Fox News, and Rolling Stone. Stories were being written in Chinese, French, and other languages.

I even observed Tesla’s broad reach in my Facebook feed, where several friends with no attachment to trucking posted about the Semi.

Within trucking, complaints about the public’s lack of respect and understanding of the industry have long been a constant.

But on this one night in Los Angeles, the crowd, which stereotypically could be considered “coastal elites,” were hooting and hollering as they learned of the intricacies of trucking from Musk.

That’s not to say there were not cringe-worthy moments. His first comments focused on how much faster the Semi is than conventional diesels - something not really important. Beyond performance, he also poked fun at the appearance of today’s trucks as he touted the Semi.

To be fair, the truck is sleek and cool, inside and out.

Of course, those attributes alone do not guarantee success. Executives with equipment manufacturers say it is one thing to build a handful of trucks, but a different ballgame to pump out tens of thousands of units a year.

Stlll, that can’t take away from the star power Musk brings to trucking, even if Tesla is trying to dig out from production problems with its new Model 3.

Maybe the Semi will succeed, and further elevate Musk to the visionary figure many of his fans consider him to be. Or maybe not only the truck will fall but the entire company, as suggested by Bob Lutz, former CEO of General Motors, during an interview on CNBC. 

Either way, we should celebrate last week’s event. It’s another indication just how exciting the next few years will be and may be just what was needed to spark a true youth movement in trucking.

[fxfymn]

I can't help but think about the electric trucks that were featured in a post that delivered news print in Philly from the teens to the 70's. They worked pretty well with very old technology. It may not be Tesla, but eventually a builder and the market will figure this out and electric trucks will become common.

[kscarbel2]

Tesla electric semi's price is surprisingly competitive

Engadget  /  November 23, 2017

Starting at $150,000, it's not much more than a regular semi and will cost less to run.

When Tesla unveiled its semi electric truck last week, everyone agreed that it looked cool, but some actual truckers weren't necessarily sold on its functionality. Most observers will be impressed with the pricing if it holds, though.

Tesla has listed estimated price on its Semi website for the 300- and 500-mile versions of $150,000 and $180,000 respectively, less than some pundits predicted.

The high-spec Founders Series will cost $200,000.

Looking at the $180,000 model, it's still around $60,000 more than a diesel-powered truck. However, the Tesla tractor could cost around 20 percent less to run, Tesla estimates, putting savings over a million miles at around $250,000.

The Tesla truck will improve the trucker experience with an Enhanced Autopilot (automatic emergency braking, automatic lane keeping and lane departure warning) that will improve safety for drivers and other vehicles.

It also features jackknife protection, sensors and cameras meant to reduce blind spots.

For a truck it'll also have superb acceleration.

Some critics are wondering how Tesla can sell the truck so cheaply. Some estimates have put the cost of the 1 MWh battery alone at up to $400,000, so as Electrek speculates, Tesla must have some new technology or other tricks up its sleeve to be able to make the economics work. Potential buyers aren't spooked by the unknowns, though -- Canadian grocery chain Loblaws was the first to jump onboard with a big order, and retail giant Walmart also plans to test the truck.

[kscarbel2]

Tesla’s Newest Promises Break the Laws of Batteries

Transport Topics  /  November 27, 2017

Elon Musk knows how to make promises. Even by his own standards, the promises made last week while introducing two new Tesla vehicles—the heavy-duty Semi Truck and the speedy Roadster—are monuments of envelope pushing. To deliver, according to close observers of battery technology, Tesla would have to far exceed what is currently thought possible.

Take the Tesla Semi: Musk vowed it would haul an unprecedented 80,000 pounds for 500 miles on a single charge, then recharge 400 miles of range in 30 minutes. That would require, based on Bloomberg estimates, a charging system that’s 10 times more powerful than one of the fastest battery-charging networks on the road today—Tesla’s own Superchargers.

The diminutive Tesla Roadster is promised to be the quickest production car ever built. But that achievement would mean squeezing into its tiny frame a battery twice as powerful as the largest battery currently available in an electric car.

These claims are so far beyond current industry standards for electric vehicles that they would require either advances in battery technology or a new understanding of how batteries are put to use, said Sam Jaffe, battery analyst for Cairn Energy Research in Boulder, Colorado. In some cases, experts suspect Tesla might be banking on technological improvements between now and the time when new vehicles are actually ready for delivery.

“I don’t think they’re lying,” Jaffe said. “I just think they left something out of the public reveal that would have explained how these numbers work.”

Here are four of Tesla’s most provocative battery claims—and an attempt to puzzle out how they might be achieved.

Truck Range: Haul 80,000 Pounds for 500 Miles

When Musk took the stage in an airport hangar in Hawthorne, California, his first proclamation was the Tesla Semi’s range: A fully-loaded truck would be able to travel at highway speeds for 500 miles. The previous record-holder, unveiled by Daimler in October, is a truck that maxes out at 220 miles.

A heavy-duty, long-range truck is the toughest vehicle to electrify while still turning a profit, said Menahem Anderman, president of Total Battery Consulting Inc., in Oregon House, California. Tesla may be doing it to prove a point. “If you can make a semi truck with batteries,” Anderman said, “then you can make everything else with batteries.”

Tesla is making its trucks more efficient by reducing wind drag to levels that are comparable to those of sports cars. But even if Tesla achieves record-breaking efficiency for the truck, it would still require a battery capacity somewhere from 600 kilowatt hours to 1,000 kilowatt hours to deliver on Musk’s claims, according to estimates from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Split the difference, at 800 kWh, and it would mean a battery that weighs more than 10,000 pounds and costs more than $100,000—even before you build the truck around it. Tesla has priced the truck with 500-mile range at $180,000, less than the estimated prices of seven analysts surveyed by Bloomberg, and says fuel savings will result in a two-year payback when compared to diesel.

One thing Tesla has going for it is the falling price of batteries. Musk may be banking on battery improvements between now to the early 2020s in order for its truck to make financial sense. The first Tesla Semis won’t hit the road until late 2019; even then, production would probably start slowly. Most fleet operators will want to test the trucks before considering going all-in. By the time Tesla gets large orders, batteries should cost considerably less.

Tesla Megachargers: 400 Miles in 30 Minutes

Musk’s claim that the truck will be able to accumulate 400 miles of charge in 30 minutes would allow the Semi to achieve the first true long-haul ranges in the industry. A driver might start the day with 500 miles of range, top off the battery at lunch, and be able to complete driving the U.S. legal limit of 11 hours in a day with range to spare. But doing so would require a charger unlike anything seen before.

“I don’t understand how that works,” said Salim Morsy, electric vehicle analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. “I really don’t.” Tesla is claiming charging speeds that are faster than anything available now, and its customers will pay well below average market rates to access the network.

Tesla’s current generation of high-speed Superchargers have a power output of 120 kilowatts and can add about 180 miles to the battery in a Model S sedan in 30 minutes. But that’s for a passenger car, not a loaded truck. To meet Tesla’s claim of 400 miles in 30 minutes for a semi carrying 80,000 pounds would require its new Megachargers to achieve output of more than 1200 kW—or more than 10 times better than Tesla’s fastest chargers available today.

Joe Fath, fund manager for T. Rowe Price Group Inc., Tesla’s seventh-largest shareholder, said that prior to the unveiling he thought Tesla’s heavy-duty truck might be able to address about a quarter of the hauling tasks performed by the largest heavy-duty freight trucks, known as Class 8 semis. In North America alone, these big trucks account for about $30 billion in sales each year, according to industry data tracked by Bloomberg.

The promises in Musk’s presentation persuaded Fath that Tesla will be able to compete in nearly two-thirds of the Class 8 market. “If they execute,” he said, “they have a very big opportunity.”

Guaranteed Charging Rates of 7 Cents per kWh

The sticker price of any electric truck, regardless of size, is going to be higher than its diesel equivalent because of the batteries, which alone can cost as much as some standard diesel trucks. The $180,000 Tesla Semi will compete with diesels that cost as little as $100,000. The trick is to offset those higher upfront costs through lower maintenance and fuel savings.

Perhaps Tesla’s most head-scratching revelation is that it will guarantee truckers electricity rates of 7 cents per kilowatt hour. That could result in fuels savings of more than $30,000 a year for some truckers, according to Bloomberg estimates. Partly, Musk said, this will be done by adding solar power and massive battery packs at the charging stations.

While the economics of such a plan vary by region, under any scenario that BNEF’s Morsy expects, Tesla will be heavily subsidizing those electricity rates for customers. He estimated that Tesla will pay a minimum of 40 cents per kilowatt hour, on average, for every 7 cents paid by a trucking company.

“There’s no way you can reconcile 7 cents a kilowatt hour with anything on the grid that puts a megawatt hour of energy into a battery,” Morsy said. “That simply does not exist.”

That may sound like a disastrous financial plan, but it’s no different from what Tesla does for its current Supercharger network. Tesla offers free electricity to most of its Model S and Model X customers while paying almost $1 per kilowatt hour to produce it, Morsy said. That amounts to a subsidy of as much as $1,000 per car in 2017.

Many electric utilities base their commercial rates on the peak amount of electricity that a customer draws at one time, even if that peak occurs only for a brief period. Tesla’s Megacharger stations would incur extremely high charges by drawing so much power so quickly. The best chance for mitigating those charges are to build Megachargers at existing truck terminals that already draw a lot of power, Morsy said, and by adding massive battery packs that can spread demand over time.

From another perspective, these subsidies to support Megachargers could be a boon to Tesla’s balance sheet as it wades into an entirely new industry. It allows the company to maximize its upfront revenue by charging a lot for the trucks while spreading out the cost of building and operating the charging network over time.

[kscarbel2]

Tesla announces Semi prices, raises reservation cost to $20,000

Neil Abt, Fleet Owner  /  November 27, 2017

Tesla announced on its website the price for its Semi Class 8 electric truck will start at $150,000 for a model with a 300-mile range, and $180,000 for a 500-mile range.

The company also said it increased the per-order reservation price for the trucks to $20,000. At the unveiling event earlier this month, CEO Elon Musk said that figure was $5,000 per vehicle.

In addition, Tesla said it was offering a “Founders Series” model for an upfront charge of $200,000, which guarantees receiving one of the first 1,000 Semis produced.

Tesla claims the truck will have the lowest cost of ownership when it hits the road in 2019. It said electric energy costs are half of diesel and that the Semi will provide at least $200,000 in fuel savings over the life of the vehicle.

Additional information such as the weight of the vehicle and other specifications have not yet been released.

Separately, officials with the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach told the Daily Breeze they have met with Tesla engineers to learn about the truck.

It is part of the effort to reach zero emissions for all on-road equipment by 2035, said Chris Cannon, director of environmental management for the Port of Los Angeles.

[kscarbel2]

Blowin’ in the wind

Paul Menig, Fleet Owner  /  November 27, 2017

One of my favorite songs over the years is Blowing in the Wind by Peter, Paul, and Mary. I thought of this line while considering the specifications given for the new Tesla Semi. Before I go further, a confession. I worked with Jerome Guillen, the manager for the Tesla Semi, when he was at Freightliner, now Daimler Trucks North America. At first he was a consultant from McKinsey helping with cost reduction. Then he became the program manager for the Freightliner Cascadia, which hit the market in 2007. I have a lot of respect for Jerome. He’s got a doctorate in physics, so he knows his stuff both technically and from a business perspective. 

Like some other editors, I’ve got a few questions regarding the specifications on the new product from Tesla. I was impressed, almost to the point of disbelief, by the aerodynamic spec of a CdA of .36. In the work I’ve done, I usually see percentage improvements in aerodynamics. Few, if any, have revealed publicly their aerodynamic performance specification. I’ve worked on reviews of GHG2 regulations and thought that was way beyond realistic. But, it turns out it is much better than the results for the average production vehicle, but not beyond what has been demonstrated in concept vehicles. It is in the GHG2 rules as meeting the highest aerodynamic level of Bin VII. The images in the release show a truck with cameras instead of mirrors. Well, that’s not legal. I’m not sure our government is about to change that. Certainly, not in time for a production release in 2 years. The government cannot work that fast. I look forward to having an independent, respected group run a test. What’s missing for me, is the wind average aerodynamic performance. Winds hit a truck at all angles at the same time that they slice through the air going forward. Come to think of it, the truck is so good, it might make sense for another truck maker to buy into Tesla to use some of those trucks to help with its average for GHG2 production. But, then, why did Toyota and Daimler sell their stakes in Tesla in the last few years. 

I heard Elon Musk talk about jack knifing of semi’s. I’ve been working on braking systems and advanced safety systems for many years. Most jack knifing accidents were eliminated with the advent of ABS. Further improvements in semi safety were made with those fleets that chose roll stability control, a different accident. Finally, as of August 1 of this year, all semis should have ESB (Enhanced Stability Control) with braking at each individual wheel end to avoid loss of control. I don’t see the claim for the Tesla Semi as any better than every other semi in production now. (As a side point, in Europe it’s called ESP for Enhanced Stability Pneumatics. But it acts as if it has ESP and can understand what the truck is thinking.)

Price may not be as prohibitive as some are suggesting. This vehicles saves the cost of an engine, transmission, driveline, and two axles. That’s a lot of expensive metal and electronics that are eliminated. They are replaced by expensive batteries, and 4 wheel end motors. Costs of those items are decreasing. Europes coaches and buses are moving to electric quite quickly, which should help with the wheel end motors. Batteries are decreasing in cost as well. Cost might not be as bad as you think. The claims made about no breakdown in a million miles seems a bit of an overoptimistic marketing ploy. I believe I heard some disclaimers such as regular maintenance and such. Electrical connections almost always have some issues along the way.

One more comment on the specs. What will it mean for a fully loaded tractor/trailer rig to go from 0-60 mph in just 20 seconds? You better have that load in the trailer secured exceptionally well.

Next up? The Nikola product introduction. Stay tuned. It likely will not be as electrifying.

[Lmackattack]

I hear a rumor that some Tesla employee checks were bouncing as of last Friday. pure speculation on my part but wondering if anyone had heard of this as well?

[kscarbel2]

Tesla Lists Electric Truck at $150K for Base Model

Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT)  /  November 27, 2017

Tesla has posted the prices for its upcoming electric truck, the Tesla Semi, showing a base price of $150,000 for the base model.

The base model will have a 300-mile range, less than the 500-mile figure given by company founder and CEO Elon Musk at the Tesla Semi’s introduction in late November. The 500-mile range version will sell for $180,000. The company is already accepting reservations for the vehicle at $20,000 a pop. The truck is expected to go into production in 2019.

If you balked at the aforementioned base prices, Tesla will also offer a limited-edition Founders Series truck for $200,000, requiring a $200,000 reservation. Tesla will only produce 1,000 Founders Series Tesla Semis.

Tesla’s vice president of truck and programs, Jerome Guillen, gave a presentation at an electric truck conference in Europe. While he was speaking about the Tesla Semi’s future in the European market, he did offer a few more details about the truck.

For one thing, Guillen said Tesla would be its own first customer, using the Tesla Semi to haul cargo between its facilities in Freemont, Calififornia, and its Gigafactory just outside of Reno, Nevada, a route of about 260 miles.

Most of what Guillen presented to the audience in Europe was a rehash of specs and expected performance marks that were given at Tesla’s official launch. However, he did comment that the truck would have a similar cargo capacity to diesel trucks, implying that the weight of the Tesla Semi would not be significantly more or less than an average Class 8 truck – something many skeptics doubt is possible.

Guillen did not give an expected launch date for the Tesla Semi in the European market, but promised a vague timing that would come after “things are good in the U.S.”

[Dirtymilkman]

Wouldn't something like this be better for refuse or ltl?

[kscarbel2]

Certainly stop-and-go situations like refuse and municipal transit are great targets, given the frequent ability to regenerate, and make brake shoe replacement a rarity.

[fxfymn]

This makes me think about how once a builder or industry starts down a path it almost never varies from it. Trucks have always been powered by a hydrocarbon fueled engine driving direct power to the drive wheels. Yet locomotives used diesel engines to power electric motors when they had the chance to re-engineer their product when steam faded out. Could diesel/electric be better for trucks? We'll probably never know since truck builders have so much invested in the current way of building they have little incentive to change.

Then someone from outside the industry comes along that has no current investment in the industry like Musk. He sees something that he believes is better and has the courage to try it.  We'll see if it works out, but every great once in a while revolution takes over from evolution and the industry must change or fade from relevance over time. 

If it were up to the big 3 we would still be driving boats that rusted out every three years, but the Japanese had a better idea and kicked the shit out of Detroit until they changed to meet the new model. We'll see if Musk does the same to the Class 8 industry.

[Maxidyne]

Locomotives use diesel-electric drive because no transmission will take the torque of their 4000+ HP engines and have the gear reduction to start loads with a power to weight ratio of 2HP/Ton or less. Mechanical transmissions are more efficient, but aren't up to heavy locomotive duty. That said, truck diesels are being used in some lighter switching locomotives with some success, and the toughest of the truck automatics might be up to moving a few loaded cars. Keep in mind, just one North American loaded railcar weights 268,000 pounds...

[Phase 1]

3 hours ago, Maxidyne said:

Locomotives use diesel-electric drive because no transmission will take the torque of their 4000+ HP engines and have the gear reduction to start loads with a power to weight ratio of 2HP/Ton or less. Mechanical transmissions are more efficient, but aren't up to heavy locomotive duty. That said, truck diesels are being used in some lighter switching locomotives with some success, and the toughest of the truck automatics might be up to moving a few loaded cars. Keep in mind, just one North American loaded railcar weights 268,000 pounds...

A Brandt Peterbilt here. I think they use an Allison transmission. The trains weigh a lot, but move much easier on the rails. 

Jump to  :50

 

Edited November 28, 2017 by Phase 1

[Maxidyne]

Interesting machines, had one parked in a siding near me so got a close look at one. They have to meet all the legal requirements for both a truck and locomotive, which may explain why flat windshield trucks like the Pete and Western Star are most popular for these conversions- locomotives are required to have much thicker glass than trucks. In most cases they have to meet the weight limits for trucks, so even with tri axles they can only put 20 tons or so on the drive wheels limiting their tractive effort. I've heard they're using one of the off road Allison transmissions which would give a bit more capacity and allow the full 600 HP the 15-16 liter engines can produce, but I imagine some variants like the Metro Transit's "tow truck" don't need as much power- They were using it to test the LRT cars and track before the wire was energized, and it flew up the overpasses! But while 600 HP is impressive in the world of trucks, that'll only pull 4 loaded cars at 1 HP/Ton. Clearly GE and EMD don't have to worry much about truck competition on the rails...

 

[Lmackattack]

The railroads tried hydraulic transmissions in the 60s.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krauss-Maffei_ML_4000_C'C'

[kscarbel2]

Two more companies commit to Tesla orders

Today’s Trucking  /  November 28, 2017

SEATTLE, WA – Two more companies have added themselves to the list of those pre-ordering Tesla’s new fully-electric semi.

Shipping company DHL, owned by Deutschhe Post AG, and Fortigo Freight Services said they each ordered a limited number of the trucks due out in 2019.

DHL said its 10 trucks will be used for shorter routes, telling Reuters they would be deployed on shuttle runs and same-day customer deliveries, as well as being tested for fuel efficiency on longer runs throughout the United States.

Etobicoke, Ontario-based Fortigo – one of Canada’s largest dedicated fleet management companies – said that in addition to testing the trucks, it would be offering a lease-back program to its drivers and independent contractors, if the testing phase is successful.

The price for the base model of the trucks is US$150,000 for the 500-kilometer range battery, and US$180,000 for the 800-kilometer range battery, with US$20,000 due up front as a deposit.

Elias Demangos, president of Fortigo Freight, said the company didn’t hesitate to secure a spot on the waiting list for the trucks.

 “The transportation and trucking industry has a legacy of being quite conservative in its approach to innovation, and needs to look towards the technology that will shape the future of the industry,” he said.

Tesla told Reuters they will not be confirming which companies have ordered trucks, or providing a final tally of the number of trucks ordered.

So far Walmart, J.B. Hunt, and Loblaw Companies have also confirmed they have placed pre-orders with Tesla, and will be putting the trucks on the road in Canada.