Yesterday, we touched on the new tractors that Tesla is developing.  The Tesla Semi incorporates what they call “Enhanced Autopilot” – the same sort of stuff that exists in Tesla cars.   This means the rig is loaded with cameras and radar- and those devices let it determine what is the traffic flow, how to safely change lanes- and, most importantly, how to pull over into a controlled sop should the driver fall asleep or become incapacitated (via a heart attack or something similar.)

Musk hopes his new truck will garner more than a little of the 250,000 class 8 (a “big rig”; the highest weight class tractor) tractors sold annually.  That’s about a quarter of the 950,000 heavy duty trucks produced and sold annually.

Once on the roads, the rigs are expected to participate in the new practice of “platooning”.  A process where rigs line up in a controlled fashion and travel together (almost in unison).  The reduced wind resistance the practice provides means even diesel tractors achieve fuel improvements of some 10%.  But, with the electric rigs, it’s expected that only the lead vehicle will be fully “manned”- the driver will be driving the lead rig, allowing the trailing vehicles to play follow the leader.  (Those rigs will have folks inside them,  but they will be relaxing [or fretting, since they are now making a lot less money] or doing paperwork- ready to break away from the platoon, when the desired freeway exist is reached.)

Oh, and that lead driver?  His days are numbered, too. Because you can bet the development of this technology will obviate the need for a manned leader of the platoon.

And, while these electric rigs are not due until 2019 (and we all know how reliable the promised delivery for Tesla’s have been- where’s your Tesla 3?), big companies are placing orders with Tesla for just these reasons.  WalMart, Pepsi, Anheuser Busch (40 of them!) have ordered some 300 of them already. Even J.B. Hunt, a major trucking company, has ordered more than a dozen of these rigs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb0Kzb3haK8

Musk promises (with his fingers crossed?) that the electric rig will cost some 20 cents less a mile to run than its diesel counterpart. (His numbers – including depreciation – are $ 1.26 a mile for his rig and $ 1.51 for the diesel tractor.) And, that Tesla Semi?  It’s supposed to make a 500 mile trip at 60 mph on a single battery charge.  Now, that won’t be sufficient for long-haul tractor routes, but most routes in the States are about 250 miles. And, 30% of all trucking trips only log 100 to 200 miles.  But, then again, diesel trucks have a range of 800 to 1000 miles before needing a refueling.

(As an example, our trucks used to be dispatched about 400 miles one-way.  To let the driver get a four hour rest and then deliver within a 100 mile circle [about 200 miles driving] for the rest of the day.  Then, head off to the next location- or return to base to repeat the cycle.  So, an electric rig would have worked perfectly for us- if there were charging stations around to ensure the battery would be fully loaded. Musk says recharging takes about 30 minutes- but it does require its proprietary device called the “megacharger”.)

Oh, and there is going to need to be a major improvement in batteries.  Back of the envelope calculations (come on, I AM an engineer) indicate that this tractor is going to need some 17,000 pounds of batteries. Add to that 7,000 to 10,000 pounds for the actual rig and the maximum weight the truck can haul has dropped from some 45,000 pounds to about 35,000 pounds.  That won’t make carriers happy at all!

OK.  Tomorrow, we’ll see that Tesla has many competitors.  Some with products already on the road!

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