Lights, cameras, action. Tesla Semi's presentation was more like a smartphone presentation.
The crowd's excitement, Elon Musk's performance, and — naturally — the Tesla Semi's bombastic specs made a lot of ink (and a lot of bytes…) flow in the press. The promises left by Elon Musk and the numbers of Tesla Semi contributed a lot to the media coverage of the presentation.
go down to earth
Now that the frenzy is over, some people look at Tesla's truck specs with new eyes. In particular industry experts. Speaking to Autocar, the Road Haulage Association (RHA), one of the largest road transport and logistics associations in the United Kingdom, was forceful:Rod McKenzieThe numbers are not relevant.
For Rod Mckenzie, the 0-100 km/h acceleration that was one of Elon Musk's highlights — just over 5 seconds — doesn't reap much enthusiasm. “We are not looking for that kind of performance, because the speed of the trucks is limited.
As for the advantages of electric motors over their diesel powered counterparts, Rod McKenzie does not share the same view as Elon Musk. "My prediction is that the massification of electric trucks will take another 20 years." Batteries and autonomy are still an issue.
the numbers that matter
According to this RHA specialist, the Tesla Semi, despite the advance it represents, is not competitive in the items where it truly matters to companies in the sector: operating cost, autonomy and load capacity.
As for the first one, “the price is a big obstacle”. “The Tesla Semi will cost more than 200,000 euros, which is way above the budget of companies in the sector in the UK, which is around 90,000 euros. Our industry, with operating margins of 2-3%, cannot face this cost”, he pointed out.
As for the announced autonomy of 640 km, “it is inferior to traditional trucks”. Then there is still the problem of uploads. Elon Musk announced that charging takes just 30 minutes, but this charging time exceeds 13 times the capacity of Tesla's superchargers. "Where are the charging stations with this capacity?" questions the RHA. "In our industry, any loss of time has serious consequences for our operational efficiency."
Regarding the opinion of the truck drivers that Mckenzie consulted, the reactions were contrasting with those of the general public:
I spoke to some truck drivers and most of them laughed. Tesla has a lot to prove. Our industry doesn't like to take risks and needs proven evidence"
More questions about Tesla Semi
Tesla Semi's tare was not disclosed. Knowing that there are legal limits on the gross weight of trucks, how many tons of cargo capacity does the Tesla Semi lose compared to a diesel truck due to the weight of the batteries?Guarantee. Tesla promises a 1.6 million km warranty. On average, a truck makes more than 400 thousand km annually, so we are talking about at least 1000 loading cycles. Is it too ambitious a promise? Doubts increase if we take into account the reliability reports of the brand's models.
These doubts are further heightened by Elon Musk's dubious ads. One concerns the announcement that the Tesla Semi's aerodynamic efficiency is better than the Bugatti Chiron's — a Cx of 0.36 to 0.38. But, in aerodynamic matters, having a low Cx is not enough, it is necessary to have a small frontal area for superior aerodynamic efficiency. A truck like the Tesla Semi will never be able to have a lower frontal area than the Bugatti Chiron.
However, properly comparing the Semi with other truck models, if the values are confirmed, it is undoubtedly a considerable advance.
Will the Tesla Semi be a flop?
Just as it may be premature to announce the Tesla Semi as the next big thing in the road transport sector, to say otherwise suffers from the same problem. There are numbers you need to know before a final judgment can be made on Tesla's intentions. A brand that doesn't just advertise itself as a vehicle manufacturer and that has thrived in a scenario hostile to the emergence of new players.
For all that Tesla has achieved in recent years, it deserves, at least, the attention and expectation of the sector.