Top Gear just got an inside look at the production Tesla Semi.....and there are a LOT of new details
Tesla has refined almost every part of the truck for efficiency, durability and mass production:
• Semi is powder-coated instead of painted.....there is no traditional paint shop
• Production version is about 3% more efficient than the prototype
• More aerodynamic than a Bugatti Chiron without a trailer
• Standard Range uses a 548 kWh battery
• Despite its enormous size, Semi uses only ~7× the energy of a Model Y
• New front-bumper vent improves airflow around the wheels
• Three-piece front bumper makes repairs easier and cheaper
• Squarer battery-pack design helps retain heat better in cold weather
• Cloth seat is both heated AND ventilated
• A 6'6" person can stand completely upright inside the cab
• And yes.....the sun visor is absolutely gigantic
The factory itself is another story
1.7 MILLION sq. ft.
Designed for ~1,000 Semis per week
Up to ~50,000 trucks per year at full production
Tesla redesigned the truck and the factory together to make electric heavy-duty trucking work at massive scale
Tesla has refined almost every part of the truck for efficiency, durability and mass production:
• Semi is powder-coated instead of painted.....there is no traditional paint shop
• Production version is about 3% more efficient than the prototype
• More aerodynamic than a Bugatti Chiron without a trailer
• Standard Range uses a 548 kWh battery
• Despite its enormous size, Semi uses only ~7× the energy of a Model Y
• New front-bumper vent improves airflow around the wheels
• Three-piece front bumper makes repairs easier and cheaper
• Squarer battery-pack design helps retain heat better in cold weather
• Cloth seat is both heated AND ventilated
• A 6'6" person can stand completely upright inside the cab
• And yes.....the sun visor is absolutely gigantic
The factory itself is another story
1.7 MILLION sq. ft.
Designed for ~1,000 Semis per week
Up to ~50,000 trucks per year at full production
Tesla redesigned the truck and the factory together to make electric heavy-duty trucking work at massive scale
