Tesla has just released a video showing its all-electric Class 8 Semi truck humming around the automaker’s test track beside its factory in Fremont, California.
The 17-second clip (below) offers a decent view of the sleek-looking truck — sans trailer — showing it from the front, side, and rear as it rolls by the trackside camera.
Semi on the track pic.twitter.com/0QCTYGbLJv
— Tesla (@Tesla) March 14, 2021
An unofficial video shot recently by a drone flying over Tesla’s Fremont site may show part of the same test session …
Tesla’s upcoming electric truck features four independent motors to provide maximum power and acceleration, which the company claims will result in low per-mile energy costs. Fully loaded, the Semi truck will be able to hit 60 mph in 20 seconds, or a mere 5 seconds without a trailer attached.
The Tesla-made vehicle will of course include the company’s driver-assistance Autopilot technology, while a centered front seat will offer maximum visibility and control as the driver rolls along the highway or negotiates tighter city streets.
According to Tesla, the vehicle will have a maximum range of 300 miles or 500 miles, depending on the version. The expected base price for the shorter-range truck is $150,000, while the longer-range vehicle is likely to cost around $180,000.
Tesla’s Semi truck has faced a number of production delays since the vehicle’s unveiling in 2017. Almost 12 months ago, the company announced it was shifting its first Semi deliveries to 2021, with recent reports suggesting Tesla is aiming to start customer production this summer with the aim of building around 100 trucks per week by the end of this year.
The automaker, led by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, has already received at least 2,000 pre-orders from a range of clients that include Walmart, FedEx, DHL, United Parcel Service, and Anheuser-Busch.
But Tesla certainly isn’t alone in its efforts to gain a foothold in the market, with others such as Daimler, BYD, and Kenworth also developing large electric trucks in a sector expected to grow rapidly in the coming years.
