Tesla Truck Will Be Unveiled This Month — New Teaser Image And Invites Have Been Released!
Tesla is getting ready to unveil the “Tesla Truck,” a long-range hauler that’s powered by electricity. Electrek reports that invitations to the unveiling have gone out and they include an impressive-looking photo of the vehicle. Based on the invitations, it seems that Tesla will be revealing a prototype of the truck at the event, but it’s been seen on the road already.
As Inquisitr previously reported, the “Tesla Semi,” as the truck used to be called, was spotted at the Inyokern Airport, located just about two hours from Tesla’s design headquarters in California. The electrically-powered semi was hoisted on the back of a trailer based on the photo that was posted on the Tesla subreddit.
At the time, Tesla declined to confirm whether the vehicle in the photo was, in fact, the Tesla truck, although there are rumors that Iyokern Airport is a testing site for Tesla prototypes. When asked, a Tesla spokesperson simply replied with the standard company line which is that they do not comment on leaks.
Judging from the image on the invitation and the photo that was posted on Reddit, the hauler has a futuristic and sleek design. As Electrek notes, it’s become common for semis to be aerodynamically designed to reduce drag and fuel usage, but Tesla has raised the bar in that regard.
Os traemos las primeras imágenes del Tesla Semi, el camión eléctrico más esperado!https://t.co/j49jICTN5q #Tesla #TeslaSemi #VE pic.twitter.com/w8kN8gxu2e
— electromovilidad (@electro_mov) October 3, 2017
They also note that Tesla’s truck does not have a large engine compartment which isn’t needed in an electrically-powered vehicle. Electric vehicles normally house their motors between the front and rear axles. The lack of a large compartment for the engine could mean more room for drivers and could make the truck even more aerodynamic. This will distinguish it even further from other long-haul trucks on the market, and not just the ones with combustible engines. Even the plug-in/electric hybrid truck prototype from Cumins has an engine compartment which may not work in their favor when they try to compete with Tesla.
The unveiling of the “Tesla Truck” will take place on November 16 in Hawthorne, California. It may come as a surprise to some that Elon Musk is focusing on a new product that isn’t the Tesla Model 3. News of the mass-market electric vehicle’s production woes have become common knowledge and there are reports that Tesla’s investors are getting concerned.
But as Teslarati reports, Tesla announced its intention to move beyond consumer vehicles and into the heavy trucking industry in 2016. At the time, the company stated that their goal was to reduce the cost of cargo transport and to make trucking safer, even “fun.” According to Teslerati, the electric semi is expected to have a battery range of 200-300 miles and come equipped with an autonomous “platooning” function. It’s a truck that’s supposed to be “driven like a sports car.” At least that’s what Elon Musk said about his new vehicle earlier this year.
Do you think that the “Tesla truck” will be a game changer in the heavy-duty trucking industry? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
[Featured Image by Tesla]
