ALBAWABA - Tesla’s futuristic ambitions are ceaseless but one thing that was swept under the rug by the headline-catching driverless cars, humanoid robots, and AI, is Tesla’s Semis - which seem on the way to a comeback.
Tesla’s electric semis are generating serious interest following impressive test results - and potential customers are now taking notice. The trucks which debuted in 2019 to little fanfare are beginning to find their place in the sun.
ArcBest, a multi-million dollar logistics company, recently purchased two Tesla semis in order to test them; by itself a promising gesture. But what shocked almost everyone (including Tesla) was that the trucks performed extremely well, better even than what Musk promised during the truck’s unveiling.
Tesla, who usually overpromise and underdeliver, have done the complete opposite; at the truck’s unveiling, Musk claimed that the trucks would spend 1.7 kWh per mile. This was confirmed by tests made by DHL and Saia.
However, during ArcBest’s test the trucks managed to spend even less energy per mile, spending 1.5 kWh instead. Now ArcBest is seriously considering adopting the trucks into their fleet; however, they still have to calculate the total cost of ownership, operational efficiency, safety, and employee experience before making the decision.
"The Tesla Semi has the potential to be a game changer," said John Boesel, the former CEO of CALSTART, a clean transportation nonprofit. "No other electric big rig on the market can say that," he said, according to Automotive News.
While currently a niche, will Tesla overtake the trucking industry as it had the EV industry?
