The fact that folks who ordinarily have little interest in a semi-truck are closely following the Tesla Semi speaks to the unrivaled excitement and passion the Tesla brand engenders in fans. Since its introduction this past November, Tesla has already fielded a number of pre-orders from a wide range of companies, including Sysco and Walmart. Not too long ago, Pepsi committed to buying 100 Tesla Semi trucks while UPS committed to buying 125 trucks.
With the entry-level model boasting 300 miles of range, the Tesla Semi promises to be a more affordable, efficient, and capable option for companies who need to haul goods across the country. As Elon Musk made a point of noting a few months ago, the average cost of operating a Tesla Semi on a per-mile basis checks in at 85 cents compared to an average cost of $1.51 for rail.
“It’s s not just economic suicide to use one diesel truck,” Musk said last year, “it’s economic suicide for rail. This beats rail.”
And of course, with this being a Tesla vehicle, it should come as no surprise that the Tesla Semi can go from 0-60 MPH in just 5 seconds. What’s more, the Tesla Semi can go from 0-60 MPH in 20 seconds while hauling 80,000 pounds.
All that said, YouTuber Richard Fielder recently spotted a silver Tesla Semi prototype accelerating on a public road and, suffice it to say, it’s a bit jarring to see a semi-truck moving so quickly.
Video of the truck in action can be seen below.
As to when we might see production models of the Tesla Semi on the road, Tesla maintains that production will begin in 2019.
