For many, the electrification of heavy transport is a pipe dream impossible to achieve with current technology. A key sector that is responsible for moving almost everything that comes to our homes, from food to electronics. Now, Elon Musk has confirmed at the gates of the start of deliveries of the Tesla Semi, that the electric truck has completed a journey of 500 miles, and that it has also done so fully loaded.
This has been indicated by the head of Tesla, who has not given details of the route beyond the fact that it has lasted 500 miles, and where the truck has been loaded with 81,000 lbs of weight.
Of course, it is a remarkable achievement, which lacks details such as knowing the time it took to complete it, and the stops made in it.
But the simple fact of completing such a long distance, which would mean going from Madrid to Perpignan, or from Santiago de Compostela to Huelva, is an example that even long routes, with an infrastructure that supports them, can be possible with a 100% electric truck.
As we remember, the Tesla Semi uses Tesla’s new 4680 format cells. Although the chemistry used in the vehicle has not been specified, it is most likely that it is of the NCM (nickel, cobalt, manganese) type with a silicon-rich anode, a combination that on paper should offer high energy efficiency.
It will be available with two batteries: one will provide 310 mile of range, while with the other it will reach 500 miles approved. Figures also declared the cargo area at maximum capacity, 81,000 lbs.
A proposal that bases its arguments on factors such as its energy efficiency. Tesla indicates that the Semi will have a consumption of about 124 kWh per 62 mile. Something that with a price of about 20 cents per kWh, would mean a cost of about 24 euros per 100 kilometers. Of course, a figure that can change radically in both directions, whether you recharge from a base equipped with solar panels, but it can also be more expensive if you have to use ultra-fast public recharging.
Regarding charging times, it is announced that the top model will be able to recover approximately 70% of its range, about 347 mile, in just 30 minutes, as long as it is connected to a Semi Charger (formerly known as Mega Chargers). Tesla estimates that, over three years, a Semi could save up to $200,000 in fuel compared to a diesel model.
Another very important factor will be security. The Semi has Autopilot, which will allow professionals to be able to face routes of several hours with less physical wear and tear since the vehicle is in charge of most of the work. An aspect that will substantially increase safety on the road, and above all, the comfort of drivers. An aspect that can serve as an extra incentive to attract professionals to companies that bet on this technology.
