According to a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), an electric Tesla semi-truck was spotted unexpectedly. Tesla shareholder Meriam Al Sultan spotted the Semi carrying a particular load and shared her eyewitness account.
The Semi was transporting the Model 3 Ludicrous, a model Tesla has announced for release. Meanwhile, the Tesla Semi is produced manually in a small factory near Nevada, with no dedicated production line for electric trucks.
Carrying five new Model 3s, heading to Fremont showroom
According to Meriam Al Sultan, the Semi was heading to the Fremont showroom from Tesla’s Fremont factory to return Model 3 demo vehicles. The Semi appeared to be carrying five Model 3 Ludicrous vehicles, much less than the Semi’s maximum weight of 37 tons, as stated by Tesla.
Dan Priestley, senior engineering manager of Tesla Semi, previously mentioned on X that Tesla has been using the Semi in the factory for various purposes over the years. In addition, he revealed that the Semi has transported more than 20,000 battery packs from the Nevada Gigafactory to the Fremont factory. The Semi runs the same route and carries the same load as Tesla’s existing diesel trucks, but operating the Semi costs less than using diesel trucks.
Planning to build a dedicated production line this year and produce more than 50,000 units annually
Meanwhile, Tesla’s electric truck, Semi, does not have a dedicated production line. Therefore, it is said to be manually produced in a small factory near Nevada. Last year, Tesla announced that it has secured nearly 100 Semi trucks and plans to build a dedicated production line in 2024 to produce more than 50,000 units annually.
Tesla delivered its first Semi to food company Pepsico in December 2022. Additionally, it is reported that 21 Semis are stored at Pepsico’s warehouse in Sacramento, California, for delivery use. While most electric trucks offer a range of less than 100 miles, Tesla has stated that the Semi can travel up to about 500 miles on a single charge.
Accelerating to 62 mph in about 5 seconds when empty
The Semi has many advantages over diesel trucks. First, it can accelerate to 62 mph in just 5 seconds when empty, thanks to its four motors. When loaded with its maximum towing weight of 37 tons, it takes 20 seconds to accelerate to 62 mph.
In addition, the four motors installed in the Semi can individually control driving power through sensors.
This can prevent the jackknife phenomenon, which causes the tractor to lose steering power when the trailer skids during sudden braking. Upon hearing that the Semi is being used at the Tesla factory, netizens reacted with comments such as “Are they using the Semi, which is too precious to buy, for that?” and “Don’t just use it yourselves, produce more and sell them.”
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