The first shipment of the Tesla Semi, which debuted five years ago, was delivered to PepsiCo’s Modesto, California, factory on Wednesday, according to Tesla Semi program manager Dan Priestley at a live-streamed event at the company’s Nevada plant.
Musk talked on a stage accompanied by four Tesla Semis, two of which were draped in Pepsi and Frito Lay logos, about the need to reduce the amount of carbon emissions caused by the transportation of supplies throughout the world. However, as soon as he spoke about the need to fight climate change, he turned to his style of showmanship.
“It looks sick,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on stage at the event. “You want to drive that. I mean, that thing looks like it came from the future.” Musk later referred to the Semi as “a beast.”
According to Tesla, the Semi can achieve 60 mph in 5 seconds when unloaded and 20 seconds with a full load of 82,000 lbs. It also has a battery range of up to 500 miles. Those are fantastic times for a vehicle like this.
Musk also listed a series of characteristics that he claims would make the Semi the most efficient and desired truck on the road. The truck will have a revolutionary 1,000-volt powertrain design, which Musk stated will be used in future Tesla product development.
The Semi also incorporates traction control to prevent jackknifing, regen braking to improve battery economy, and an automated clutch for a smooth interstate drive.
“It’s a step-change in technology in so many ways,” Musk said.
Tesla is promoting the Semi as the truck of the future. EVs have already been embraced by the rest of the automotive industry, despite the company’s difficulties in beginning production. However, Tesla was not the first to deploy a hydrogen-powered truck; Nikola Motors did, despite facing fraud allegations and administrative turmoil.
According to Bloomberg, the $30.8 million project that the California Air Resource Board helped partially fund included the Tesla Semis that were delivered at the gathering.
The electric car manufacturer claims that the entry-level Semi will cost $150,000, while the longer-range model would cost $180,000. It intends to build up to 100,000 units a year eventually.
