5 Ways the Tesla Semi Is Better Than a Traditional Semi Truck (and 5 Ways It’s Not)
Reading Time: 4 minutesThe Tesla Semi is groundbreaking, but it has some drawbacks, too.
The Tesla Semi is a revolutionary vehicle that is ahead of its time and paving the path towards better semi trucks in the future.
Tesla has engineered a semi that enjoys many benefits over regular commercial trucks, especially concerning performance and reducing emissions. But not everything is perfect, and traditional semi trucks also offer a few advantages over Tesla’s electric big rig.
5 Advantages of the Tesla Semi
1. Fuel Savings
Conventional semi trucks usually run on diesel fuel, so filling them up, especially if you own a fleet of trucks, is costly. This is especially true if you consider the amount of fuel you’re purchasing as the years start to pile up. Tesla’s Semi promotional page goes as far as saying that fuel savings might amount to $200,000.
Operators can see estimated fuel savings of up to $200,000 within their first three years of ownership.
This is a bold claim, and if it turns out to be true, the Semi might be worth the investment simply based on the cost savings for the company. Imagine the savings a fleet of dozens of Tesla Semi trucks will bring in versus a traditional diesel truck.
Tesla says these claims stem from the average diesel prices in California compared to the typical electrical rates.
2. Instant Torque
Electric motors have many benefits over internal combustion engines. Of these benefits, one of the most practical is the availability of instant torque. Internal combustion engines have many moving parts that need to get up to speed before maximum torque is generated, but electric motors apply their monstrous torque from the get-go.
In a truck, this is vitally important. Imagine a loaded truck taking off from a steep incline; this would present problems for traditional trucks. But, in a Tesla Semi, thanks to the electric motors, the truck will pull with all of its torque from the moment you want it to. This makes the Tesla Semi similar to its stablemate, the ridiculously quick Model S Plaid.
3. Lower Maintenance Costs
If the Tesla Semi’s reliability holds up, the savings could be staggering for fleets of semi-trucks. Conventional semi-trucks require oil changes for the diesel engines, a cost that will be present for the duration of the vehicle’s service life.
Electric semi trucks do not require engine oil changes, and they’ll also save fleet owners a lot of money by not having to replace regular engine wear and tear items constantly. Even something as simple as the engine air filter on a diesel semi truck is a maintenance item that an EV truck does not have.
4. Quieter Than a Conventional Semi Truck
This is an obvious one. Electric vehicles are quieter than conventionally-powered ones, and the difference becomes even more pronounced with semi-trucks.
By nature, these goliath-sized vehicles make a huge ruckus whenever they’re on the move, especially when taking off from a standstill or accelerating up a hill. It’s not a beautiful sportscar sound either; I haven’t met a single person that enjoys hearing a howling semi truck struggling up a hill.
So, a great benefit of the Tesla Semi is that it’s powered by electric motors, which won’t destroy every eardrum nearby at full throttle. Sure, electric motors aren’t completely quiet, they do whine, but the Semi’s whine can’t compare to a diesel roar.
5. No Harmful Exhaust Gases
Everybody has come across a huge semi-truck pouring clouds of black smoke into the air, sometimes right in front of your car. This isn’t a fun experience, especially if the smoke makes its way into the passenger compartment of your vehicle.
It’s also not pleasant for the environment, especially with the insane amount of trucks roaming our highways. This isn’t a problem with the Tesla Semi because electric vehicles don’t produce tailpipe emissions.
5 Drawbacks of the Tesla Semi
1. Lack of Charging infrastructure
Semi-trucks are built for transporting goods, and planning an entire route around whatever charging points are available might be cumbersome to most truck drivers.
This is also a huge problem for the companies that own the transport fleets because they’re just looking to maximize profit. So any deviation from a route optimized for profit is a problem, and DC fast chargers are still not widespread.
EV semi trucks will eventually require specialized charging stations that don’t have to be shared with drivers of regular cars. The answer will ultimately be to build charging stations at each destination, so the EV semi-truck can charge there and then be on its way.
2. Strange Design Choices
The Tesla Semi features a seating position that many drivers of traditional trucks may find difficult to get used to, especially because the driver is far away from the access point to the cabin.
Visibility might also be affected by the central seating position, especially when the driver needs to look out the driver’s side window. It’s undeniable that the Semi’s interior has tons of wow factor, but some practicality might be getting sacrificed for the sake of style.
3. Tesla Semi Has Wasted Cabin Space
Some semi trucks can be outfitted with beds and sizable living areas for the driver that might even include a microwave. Unfortunately, the Tesla Semi has a lot of room behind the driver that seems to go to waste.
The area behind the driver is essentially a walkway to reach the driving seat, but this space has so much more potential than being relegated to a simple corridor.
4. Inconvenient Window Vents
The windows on the Tesla Semi, at least in many of the images making the rounds, don’t open like a traditional window.
These units only pop out like a vent-style window instead of rolling down. This is another inconvenience that might combine with the strange rear-door access to cause problems for drivers.
5. No Readily Available Parts and Service Stations
If a regular semi-truck breaks down, you can have any local truck mechanic service it quickly, with readily available parts that can be bought locally.
This is not the case for the Semi, which does boast the built-in reliability of an electric motor. But, even with fewer maintenance items, if the truck fails, you might just be stuck for a very long time waiting for Tesla to fix it. This is not good for business.
Even With the Drawbacks, the Semi Is an Amazing Machine
The Tesla Semi isn’t perfect, and the trucking world might not be fully ready to jump onto the Semi bandwagon just yet. But it’s still an amazing product that will revolutionize the segment.
Reference: https://www.makeuseof.com/ways-tesla-semi-is-better-than-traditional-semi-truck/
Ref: makeuseof
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