Tesla delivers the first of its semitruck line
Jenny Goldsberry
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Tesla delivered the first of its electric semitrucks on Thursday after five years of developing the model.
CEO Elon Musk appeared at the truck’s factory in Sparks, Nevada, to commemorate the shipment but did not disclose how many models were sent out. While it is not the only electric semitruck because Renault and Daimler have already shipped their respective versions, its uniqueness comes from the steering wheel centered on the dash, two 15-inch touch screens on either side of the wheel, 500-mile range per charge, 1,000 horsepower, and 80,000 gross vehicle weight capacity.
“It’s also quiet, will improve the quality of your air, and will improve the health of people living near freeways,” Musk said at the event.
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The truck’s outward appearance is “like a bullet” designed so that it is “optimized for efficiency,” according to the company. It takes less than two kilowatt hours per mile to power it. On average, it costs 10 cents per kWh nationwide, according to the Idaho National Laboratory, which has conducted studies comparing electric vehicles to their gas counterparts.
Musk announced last week that the truck had completed its first 500-mile trip on a single charge while maxing out its load capacity. This truck had been in development since 2017.
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Medium and heavy-duty trucks accounted for 26% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Musk explained that there are only 200,000 heavy-duty trucks in comparison to 15 million passenger vehicles on the road. Transportation, including air, rail, and sea travel, accounts for 27% of emissions, which is the largest portion among the electricity, industry, agriculture, commercial, and residential industries.