Tesla’s Semi Truck Will Be Delayed

Lisa Steuer McArdle
· 3 min read
It seems only yesterday the idea of a mainstream
electric vehicle
seemed a bit far-fetched. But today, we see
affordable options
coming out from nearly every car manufacturer—and even the
commercial vehicle
is getting into the market.
According to the
EPA
, medium and heavy duty commercial vehicles represent nearly a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.—so it seems electric commercial vehicles are needed. But, unfortunately, we may be waiting longer for this electric vehicle option, since Tesla has delayed its Tesla Semi electric truck, according to
Autoweek
.
Tesla’s Semi electric truck. | Tesla

Cause of Tesla Semi truck delay

The truck was initially scheduled to enter production in 2019. Since then, the truck has been delayed several times. In 2020, a target date for starting deliveries was set for 2021, but now it’s been pushed back to 2022.
According to Tesla, there have been delays in getting enough plants up and running for its passenger vehicle production, with those delays also having an impact on other near-term projects such as the Semi truck. This obstacle should be minimized soon, as their dedicated semi-truck manufacturing plant in
Nevada
seems to be nearing completion.
The other large problem is the battery. The new Semi truck requires the company's new 4680 cell. This component is close to being ready, but isn’t quite there yet.
Unfortunately, the battery problem is also affecting passenger models, which had been slated to receive the more advanced 4680 cells, according to Autoweek. They have a new tabless design, meant to be part of a structural battery pack expected to deliver improvement in range.
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Seriously cool truck

Once the Tesla Semi is released, it's poised to be one of the most technologically advanced commercial vehicles on the road.
Tesla promises the new Semi truck will get from 0 to 60 in 20 seconds when it’s fully loaded. Tesla has also included many of the features seen in their other cars, including a modified version of the Tesla Autopilot.
A fully customizable dash setup further allows the driver to have the information they need and prefer front and center, rather than traditional fixed gauges seen in most contemporary commercial vehicles. There will reportedly be cameras mounted throughout the truck to allow almost a 360-degree view visible on the monitors, according to
Full Bay
.
The two touchscreens inside will reportedly offer navigation information, logging tools and other fleet management software apps.

The Tesla Semi may have positive impact on trucking industry

According to Full Bay, the Tesla Semi has projected fuel cost savings averaging $100,000 to $200,000, so truckers may be eager to start driving it if that’s the case.
Apparently, FedEx, UPS and Anheuser-Busch have already placed orders, so it seems some companies are eager for the 4680 battery issue to be resolved.

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