Tesla has finally revealed the pricing of its Semi truck, keeping it attractive enough to worry diesel truck manufacturers. The Tesla electric semi truck, which was unveiled just last week, will cost buyers at least $150,000.
Tesla electric semi truck – priced competitively
Tesla has started accepting pre-orders for the vehicle, while the production of the vehicle will begin in 2019. For the 300-mile version, the price has been fixed at $150,000, while the 500-mile version would cost somewhere around $180,000. The top model, dubbed as the “Founder Series” would cost around $200,000.
Tesla, however, has increased the deposit to reserve at $20,000, which is almost quadruple of what it had announced during the unveiling event, notes TorqueReport.
The price is quite competitive when compared to diesel truck costs. Entry-level diesel trucks cost around $100,000, while Tesla promises better vehicle life for its semi based on fuel consumption and electricity cost compared to diesel cost. Further, Tesla also claims that its semi truck is an out-performer and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 20 seconds with a 80,000 pound load.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has already said that the truck costs $1.26 per mile to run. In addition, it comes with the capacity to drive up a 5% grade at 65 mph compared to a diesel truck with the same load. Tesla claims that its semi truck saves around 20% over the conventional transport rigs with fuel and insurance included, and also delivers a “better experience” for truck drivers.
What’s special about Tesla’s semi?
The Tesla electric semi truck also boasts of a better drag coefficient compared to the Bugatti Chiron, notes Express. During the event, Musk stated that the company had designed the Tesla semi truck to be like a “bullet.”
Further, the Tesla semi truck boasts of some world-class safety facilities including a total inability to jackknife, has autopilot features and glass that can withstand harsh impacts. Talking about the battery capacity, Musk said it’s enough to reach the destination and come back on a single charge. Further, the Palo Alto, California-based company said that its semi trucks could be recharged at 1,000 supercharging stations across the globe for free.
The seating area is quite forward compared to other trucks as it does not have engine, transmission and other mandatory requirements as in traditional diesel trucks, notes Fortune. The driver seat, positioned in the middle, has an air suspension and access to two screens, something similar to the Model 3.
How do truckers feel about it?
Something that could hurt Tesla and Elon Musk is the fact that truckers have claimed to be not too excited about the performance of the semi truck. According to UK’s Road Haulage Association, there is some skepticism about the relevance of the semi truck in the trucking industry at present. “Hauliers don’t care about these claimed figures,” RHA’s policy advisor, Rod McKenzie, told Autocar.
“They’re not relevant to us. We’re not looking for performance, not least because lorries’ speed is limited to 56 mph,” McKenzie said, adding it will take another 20 years for the electric truck to become mainstream.
