Tesla taking SEMI orders
- Thread starter JeffKeryk
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What kind of drive train can take that? Things going to need huge ( heavy) gears,oil coolers and pumps to pump the oil to the coolers. I wonder how heavy the truck will be.
^This. Subtract the weight of the Diesel engine, transmission, fuel weight, etc then add the required components for EV operation , batteries, motors, etc and it’s more than likely a wash as far as an 80,000 lb legal gross weight is concerned.
The SEMI is expected to be less than 1 ton heavier than a similar deisel truck. If it were substantially heavier than a diesel, it would further cut into the payload capacity.
It could be really light.
4 individual direct drive motors on the rear axles, for example.
No gears. No pumps. No coolers. No extra weight.
Just like the Model S Plaid, which has about 1,000 lbft of torque in a car.
Upsize the motors a bit, put in four, and yeah, thousands of foot pounds of torque.
We're talking about an absolutely massive amount of power needed to charge 20+ trucks parked overnight.
What if the stop is full at the end of a shift?
I believe the SEMI will use the Model 3 motors.
From a February article:
"According to a report by Wired in November 2017, the Semi will have the same motors as a Model 3, each producing 258 hp. In total, we see over 1000 hp. There’s no word on the torque figure yet, but we know that electric vehicles develop a wealth of torque, so expect the Semi’s powertrain to produce a four-digit torque figure."
Another part of the range (and power) equation is drag coefficient.
"The truck is designed like a bullet. The Tesla Semi has a 0.36 drag coefficient. Better than the Bugatti Chiron, which has a 0.38 coefficient of drag. The aerodynamics help it achieve an incredible range."
Definitely part of an overall solution. Companies have to get this right as truck deliveries have tight schedules.
Elon has always been one step ahead of everyone else. As soon as we have a replacement of all of the incompetents in Washington, the economy will come roaring back and when it does Tesla will be leading the pack. I'm not as concerned as some investors are about a possible loss of Elon as the CEO. What makes them think that Elon hasn't been grooming a successor for many years, like a Musk Mini-Me ? He's on a different astral plane than everyone else and if the current macro economic environment wasn't tossing spanners into the works we'd be seeing him totally unleashed.
As for me, I'll continue to hold my TSLA shares and ride it out. It won't be long until we see the Tesla semis and Cybertruks on the road.
As for me, I'll continue to hold my TSLA shares and ride it out. It won't be long until we see the Tesla semis and Cybertruks on the road.
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let's be real, the timing of the announcement has nothing to do with the actual truck production, and everything to do w/the current status of Tesla. Not a Tesla hater here, but that's reality. Between Tesla stock prices, twitter funding and crytpo prices, Elon wants a boost. This is it.
An acquaintance of mine has a roadster on order. He has a Model 3. I think it was a 200K deposit. He paid the deposit something like 4 or 5 years ago, and was mentioning to me that he has yet to get a single follow up email telling him the status of his massive deposit! Of course, he's not exactly hurting for cash, but still...
The reason Tesla opened its preorders is to use the funds to start its production and begin manufacturing the vehicle for its soon owners.
Of course, we are all free to speculate on why Tesla or any company makes announcements.
The Roadster deposit is $50K; the price is $200K. You use a credit card on line for $5K and have 10 days to pony up $45K more.
Your friend is getting an incredible car. It will be built in the Fremont plant, right up the road. Tesla has learned al lot through experience; the Roadster is supposed to be the culmination of their learned experience. I can't wait to see one! But I am not holding my breath.
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I think the deposit is now 50K. He put it in years ago, when they first announced it, and I think he had to actually pay the entire amount upfront. It was some 'founder's edition' thing, so he'll be among the first to get it. And obviously it goes without saying, but if you can afford to plunk down 200K or so on something that will be built "sometime in the future", then you have enough money that floating that sorta deposit is NBD.
I'm looking forward to checking it out when he gets it.
The semi is obviously a very different beast though. The Roadster is a toy for rich guys and rich enthusiasts, the semi is something people are using to make money. So I have to think the tolerance for delays will be a lot different.
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Tesla is not in kickstarter mode! If they're relying on these deposits to start production, then they have some serious structural issues....
Of course no on "knows" except upper management at Tesla, but I would find it hard (read: impossible) to believe that they're dependent upon deposits to start production, or that it's even much of a factor in the decision.
Some weight and cargo issues remain. And a whole bunch of misinformation.
JeffKeryk mentioned the 1000 pound increase. This is one of many paperwork changes that allows EV semi trucks to weigh a bit more when fully loaded. There are 1000 pound, 2000 pound and 4400 (in the EU) pound increases. It does not address the weight of the tractor itself. There does seem to be some logistical issues with axle weight limits, hence the increases. Even when carrying potato chips.
The bottom line is that a 600KWH battery pack along with the 4 motors and controllers is still very heavy, and considerably heavier than the diesel powerplant it replaces. The estimates are that the shorter range Tesla semi comes in at about 25,000 pounds. Which is about what the biggest and most capable tractors today weigh.
The 500 mile range may be a bit of a stretch too, insiders say they are known to consume about 2KWh per mile. So the "larger" 600KWH battery pack prob won't achieve 500 miles in real world hauling. That would take a 1000+ KWh battery pack, or 10ea Model S battery packs. Unfortunately, that puts the weight over 25,000 pounds and individual axle limits. Hence the changes in rules.
JeffKeryk mentioned the 1000 pound increase. This is one of many paperwork changes that allows EV semi trucks to weigh a bit more when fully loaded. There are 1000 pound, 2000 pound and 4400 (in the EU) pound increases. It does not address the weight of the tractor itself. There does seem to be some logistical issues with axle weight limits, hence the increases. Even when carrying potato chips.
The bottom line is that a 600KWH battery pack along with the 4 motors and controllers is still very heavy, and considerably heavier than the diesel powerplant it replaces. The estimates are that the shorter range Tesla semi comes in at about 25,000 pounds. Which is about what the biggest and most capable tractors today weigh.
The 500 mile range may be a bit of a stretch too, insiders say they are known to consume about 2KWh per mile. So the "larger" 600KWH battery pack prob won't achieve 500 miles in real world hauling. That would take a 1000+ KWh battery pack, or 10ea Model S battery packs. Unfortunately, that puts the weight over 25,000 pounds and individual axle limits. Hence the changes in rules.
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Sam_Julier
$50 Site Donor 2024
If a SEMI battery pack catches on fire they‘ll see it at the space station.
The Founders Edition Roadster is a limited run of 1,000 cars; they are sold out. The differences between the $200K (estimated) Roadster and $250K Founders Edition have not been stated. This sell out alone indicates $250 million in revenue for the company.
Ahh. I didn't realize that they would do it that way. I assumed the motor would drive a regular set of axles.
I believe that is correct. The 4680 really is not significantly different than 18650's or 2170's with regard to WH/Kg. It's advantage is lower internal resistance, which allows faster power drain and charge. Along with a well engineered thermal path to manage temperatures.
Any way you slice it, a 1000KWH battery pack will be seriously heavy, coming in about 15,000 pounds with supporting hardware, such as cooling, a significant supporting structure, charging hardware wiring and controllers.
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D
Deleted member 89374
Is it able to go at least 700 miles without inducing range anxiety?
Agreed, Tesla is no longer in start up mode, they are in rapid growth mode. The deposits are for materials and, more importantly, to secure the order. The deposits are probably not returnable, not sure. The SEMI is build to order vs build to stock.