Tesla Semi passes endurance test: electric truck drives 800 kilometers at a time
Created: 01/12/2022, 09:30
By: Simon Mones
With the Semi, Tesla is launching its first electric truck in December.
In a test drive, the fully loaded truck managed a range of 800 kilometers.
Thousands of trucks are on German roads every day.
These are still powered by diesel engines, but as with cars, there are signs of change.
In the future, trucks will also be purely electric or powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
Tesla is also eagerly involved with the Semi and convinces - as so often - with a long range.
During a test drive, the fully loaded electric truck covered a distance of 500 miles (around 800 kilometers) - without stopping to charge the batteries, as Elon Musk announced on Twitter.
That is 300 kilometers more than the competition from Volvo, Nikola and Frightliner has covered so far.
The eActros from Mercedes also has a range of 500 kilometers.
Up to 800 kilometers are possible with an electrified trailer.
Tesla Semi passes endurance test: electric truck drives 800 kilometers at a time
During a test drive shortly before the market launch, the Tesla Semi covered 800 kilometers on one battery charge.
© Zuma Wire/Imago
This is good news for Tesla after the electric truck recently stalled during a test drive.
The timing of this announcement is somewhat of a surprise as the Semi is scheduled to start shipping to customers in December.
However, based on other test drives, Tesla had already extrapolated that a range of 800 kilometers is possible, as reported by
Electrek
.
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But why is the 800 kilometer mark so important?
Quite simply: It usually takes eight hours to cover this distance.
That's how long truck drivers in the USA are allowed to drive in one go before they have to take a 30-minute break.
Thus, the loading process would mean no loss of time.
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Tesla Semi: Electric truck starts with delay
Tesla is celebrating the market launch of the Semi on December 1st with an event.
However, the electric truck is not quite on schedule – just like the cybertruck.
Originally it was supposed to be launched in 2017, then in 2019. But further delays meant that it finally took until December 2022.
However, there is one damper: the semi may not be sold in all countries.
