A road explains why the semi tesla is a “completely stupid” vehicle

Perceived by some as the future of transport, the semi will certainly mark a turning point in the mobility and in the exploitation of electrical engines. Tomasz Orynski, a Polish truckier, has more pragmaticly leaned over the vehicle. The record he makes of it is not the most sympathetic.

37 tonnes and 800 kilometers without recharge: Tesla arrives on the electric truck market

Tesla will deliver its first electric truck this Thursday. With this new vehicle, the American company wants to invest the emerging market of electric heavyweights.

By delivering its first electric truck on Thursday, baptized semi, Tesla wants to shake up the emerging market of heavy goods vehicles by promising to roll over long distances without having to stop at the charging station. The Elon Musk group must give the keys to the vehicle on Thursday to the Pepsico food group at the Sparks factory, in Nevada. Delivery will be made on the occasion of an event, called “Semi Delivery Event” at the Giga Nevada, its joint battery factory with Panasonic.

The truck, with a cabin with rounded lines, was presented in 2017. But the launch of its large -scale production, initially planned in 2019, has been late.

Other manufacturers have already invested the niche, whether traditional heavy goods vehicles like Daimler, Volvo, Traton (Volkswagen’s subsidiary) and Chinese byd, or start-ups like the American Nikola. Deliveries just start but many orders have been placed. But the truck “that the market has been waiting for some time is that of Tesla”, sums up Dave Mullaney, specialist in transport at the RMI sustainable development firm.

“The battery must be very large”

The other manufacturers, with their experience in heavy goods vehicles, have first transformed a diesel truck into electric. Tesla on his side launches a truck “designed to be electric from the start”, he notes. If the American group keeps its promises “it will make a big difference”. Elon Musk said in a tweet on Saturday that the truck had traveled 500 miles (805 kilometers) without recharge, with a total weight of almost 37 tonnes, when the vehicles currently offered offer a range of 250 to 300 miles (400 to 480 kilometers )).

The semi with this autonomy must cost almost 180.000 dollars, according to the specialized site Insideevs. A version from 150.000 dollars will also be available, with less autonomy (around 300 miles).

To be able to transport heavy loads over long distances, “the battery must be very large; it’s heavy, it takes up space and it’s very expensive”, recalls Mike Roeth, director of the North American Council for the Fresh effectiveness (NACFE). “The players in the sector have long wondered if it was physically possible to have a powerful sufficient battery without being too heavy to do the job.””

The transition to the electric vans of virtues in town or for short distances has started for some time. If electric heavyweights can travel 800 kilometers without having to recharge, this opens the niche for long distance journeys, with return to the deposit the same evening or over several days if the driver can find a terminal where he takes a break.

New regulations

Manufacturers and carriers are pushed by regulations. In the United States, California voted a law providing for the progressive elimination of thermal motor trucks, imitated since by other states. The European Union must discuss new standards in the coming months. Companies also pay more and more attention to be concerned about the environment in order to preserve their reputation. They “want to be on the right side of history”, notes Marie Chéron, of the European Association Transport & Environnement.

Those who do not engage in a decarbonation strategy, sometimes in the idea of ​​letting technologies improve a little, “are late”, she also argues. Another incitement: the truckers who were able to test them “love electric trucks,” says Mike Roeth. “They are silent, there is no emanation of the exhaust, they are easier to drive.””

In order for the adoption of electric trucks to accelerate, the autonomy must really correspond to the promises and ideally that the batteries shrink, notice several analysts interviewed by AFP. The infrastructure must also adapt, with more charging stations and an electrical network solid enough to allow for example ten trucks to connect at the same time to a parking lot. The price will be decisive.

Still 70% more expensive to purchase

For the moment, an electric truck still costs around 70% more than a diesel truck but is cheaper in energy and maintenance, notes Dave Mullaney. “Electric vehicles will be competitive with diesels (. ), this is only a matter of time, “said a spokesperson for the American manufacturer Navistar, a subsidiary of Traton. Tesla must now “prove that they can produce on a large scale”, notes Dan Ives of Wedbush cabinet.

Elon Musk said at the end of October that he aspired to build 50.000 semi in 2024. He proved in 2018, when the production of the Model 3 sedan struggled to gain momentum, which he knew how to put his teams in working order. But the attention that the entrepreneur currently lends to his last acquisition, Twitter, “puts into the background what should be a great moment in the history of Tesla”, deplores Dan Ives.

A road explains why the semi tesla is a “completely stupid” vehicle

While Tesla is carrying out its Tesla Semi end tests, deliveries have started. The opportunity to discover the unique look of the electric truck, but also its extraordinary capacities for a vehicle in this template.

Perceived by some as the future of transport, the semi will certainly mark a turning point in the mobility and in the exploitation of electrical engines. Tomasz Orynski, a Polish truckier, has more pragmaticly leaned over the vehicle. The record he makes of it is not the most sympathetic.

“I watch videos on the semi tesla”, written Orynski on Twitter. ” You remember ? The truck that was to revolutionize the transport industry. And I’ll tell you why it’s a completely stupid vehicle. »»

Because if the electric heavyweight has something to impress, it also seems to have design defects. Many of them reveal a construction that does not help truckers in their daily lives.

“I’m not going to talk about its loading capacity or other. I’m just going to look at the cabin from a practical point of view, like someone whose job is to drive a truck. Because it is the opposite of “built around the driver”. »»

Lost space and poor visibility

Indeed, “Built around the driver” was Tesla’s slogan during the presentation of the semi. Comparing the semi interior with the DAF XG+, the largest truck on the market, the driver deplores “Lost space” in the Tesla, and then lists the faults.

“The driver is in the middle. This makes overrun and front vision more difficult. This also prevents access to the window to stretch papers or speak with the portal person when you enter a port, in a factory, or even a toll cabin. »»

“The doors are back. You go up, hang your jacket, and have to take a few steps to sit behind the steering wheel. This means that we lose space in the cabin for a corridor, overall. We cannot place bed, so the driver cannot rest, because the doors are there. »»

This is obviously a big problem, since sleeping in the truck is an integral part of the truck profession. He recalls that drivers “Sometimes need a 20 -minute nap when they drive at night”. A 20 -minute nap which, in the case of semi, would be perfect during the vehicle recharging.

A lack of comfort on a daily basis

The truck driver continues his semi tesla overview, and then tackles another part of the problem. He deplores that the cabin design complicates the possibility of keeping a clean environment.

“If you want to go to the right of the cabin, you have to go through the passenger seat, which intersects with that of the driver. So you cannot pass in front, as in a standard cabin. And sometimes you have to get out of the right, what happened to me today because there was a lot of snow on my left. »»

“The fact that it is necessary to go around the cabin means that it will be full of earth. The right thing when you can go directly to the driver’s seat is that you can shake your shoes and remove the mud or the snow when you get there. And even if your boots are still dirty, only this small part in front of the seat is dirty. »»

“You can remove your boots there and walk barefoot in the rest of the cabin, which remains clean. But no, not in a tesla. Unless you change shoes every time you enter the cabin, which would be stupid. »»

Tomasz Orynski continues his study of the latest Born of the brand of Elon Musk and attacks the two tablets surrounding the steering wheel. The Polish explains that he led a Mercedes truck himself with cameras mirrors. The problems are two: the difficulties in resolving them, because of the distance, and the glow they cause at night.

Screens and a windshield that complicates life

But it is the semi-semi-semi-semi-up which greatly worries this regular with heavy goods vehicles. He explains how the inclination of this window is a problem.

“The snow will stagnate on it when you park in winter. You remember how painful it is to have to clean the snow on a car windshield ? Try three meters high. If the window is vertical, snow is not a problem. »»

There is also “Overheating the cabin when you drive during a sunny summer day. Even vans can be very hot. It is because of this large tilted windshield. We can obviously settle it with air conditioning, which will increase consumption and reduce your autonomy. »»

“The inclined windshield also offers larger dead angles. Think about the number of times you have seen a pedestrian by turning with a modern car. And there are also these tablets in your field of vision. »»

“The cabin is narrower at the front. But the mirrors must be able to see backwards. It means that they have long arms. You cannot sit on the seat, open the window and clean them when they are dirty. You cannot reach them from the inside, nor from the outside because they are too high. »»

In conclusion, he deplores the fact that Tesla especially thought of the aesthetics of the vehicle whose ergonomics are crucial. According to him, the engineers who worked on the semi did not have a fairly precise specifications for the needs of the drivers who will use it.

“I could continue. This vehicle is a rich toy. This is not a practical and functional vehicle, because its designers have no idea of ​​the reality of transport. »»

Tesla delivered her first electric truck, the semi: heavy goods vehicles also get into “green”

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Posted on 01/17/2022 at 3:01 pm

The delivery on December 1 in Pepsico of a tractor capable of moving more than 30 tonnes over a distance of 800 km without emitting pollutant has changed the transport of goods by road in a new era. But Tesla is not alone, other manufacturers have prototypes, even enter this market with all electric or hydrogen hybrids.

Inevitably, he has an ice cabinet physique, it is a heavyweight. But there is this worked aerodynamics and this line which barks the muzzle and delimits the bottom, more dug, a pencil stroke that we find on the cars of the range. And Tesla’s T.

By delivering his first semi, on December 1, the American undoubtedly inaugurated a fundamental transformation of road freight transport. Its mutation towards carbon neutrality. And if this one is electric, others will drive to hydrogen.

37 tonnes, 70 % autonomy in 30 minutes

Presented in 2017, the semi was since then expected by many as the first time of this revolution. However, it took five years for Elon Musk to orchestrate the delivery of his first copy to Pepsico and reveal the characteristics of this first commercially operational electric tractor. They are quite spectacular, if they are held.

Tesla Semi Driving 500 Miles, Fully Loaded, we have a single charge pic.twitter.Com/IzzomlcWzf

– Tesla (@tesla) December 2, 2022

Tesla claims an autonomy of 800 km per load for this 37 -ton machine, at the central driving station. The “truck” is also able to reach the speed of 60 miles (97 km/h) in twenty seconds and to hold it, mounted or descents, animated by three motors on the two axles located at the rear. Its battery recovers up to “70% of autonomy in thirty minutes”, it is said.

Electricity, but also hydrogen

The Texan firm targets 50,000 deliveries in 2024, but it is not the only one on this niche. In Europe, German is working on a man basis. Renault Trucks, in France, will put on the road in early 2023 a T e-tech of 666 CV, 44 t, and a range “up to 500 km with an intermediate rapid recharge (250 kW) of one hour”, explains the Builder of Lyon. In the United States, the Nikola firm develops the TRE, with the Italian Iveco, to quote some examples. Particularity of the Nikola Tre and the QUTRON QHM FCEV, they will be electric and hydrogen hybrids, a technology that changes the situation on several levels.

Content in a tank, hydrogen, associated with air oxygen, is transformed by a combustible battery in electricity and it feeds the motorcycle group. Precisely the configuration chosen by the Cathyopé consortium, which brings together the French Carrefour, Greengt Technologies and the Vauclusian carrier Chabas. Environmental interest is multiple. “No emission of fine particles, nox or CO2”, the engine is silent, rejects only “water in the form of steam” and the full of hydrogen is made “in a time of fifteen minutes, as with a diesel vehicle “, list Aurélien Coudray. Beyond that, this traction chain offers power (“530 hp”, for the French demonstrator), autonomy (“450 to 500 km”) and loading capacity required by heavy transport.

Cathyopé, demonstrator soon approved

Aurélien Coudray coordinated the project for the consortium. An adventure born of the meeting between the procedures of the three partners. Chabas had from “2011 adhered to the objective charter co₂ of Ademe, to reduce his emissions “; Carrefour pushed his carriers in this direction as part of his CSR approach and the Greengt design office developed a motorized racing car in this way. Helped by the ADME, which brought € 4.2 of the € 9.7 million, “the challenge was to apply this technology to a heavy goods vehicle”, continues Aurélien Coudray, dedicated to the transport of goods “under directed temperature” .

Find in images, the demonstration of #Cathyope during #24HCamiS, accompanied by LMPH2G, prototype electric-hydrogen race of the @Missionh24 program created in collaboration by the #Aco and Greengt.#Ademe #greengt #groupechabas #carrefour #hydrogennow #fuelcell #Fcev Pic.twitter.com/gagdxqmkgj

– Greengt (@greengtofftiel) October 7, 2022

Unveiled in March, Cathyopé, a 444 t refrigerated, has been driving a lot. “Optimization, reliability tests, tests on bench, on private tracks, up to 97 km/h, details the program coordinator . We made him travel several hundred kilometers, responsible, so as to prepare for the approval phase, in early 2023. “Open road tests will still be necessary before the operation of the machine is used for the benefit of the distribution giant, certainly” in a very urban environment. He will be in nails for low -emission zones.””

Form rather than build

“None of the three Cathyopé partners is intended to become a vehicle manufacturer, Pointe Aurélien Coudray . The rest of the project is to make a technology transfer and that large manufacturers take over. We have mainly seen the skills development aspect.””

Chabas, Greengt and the CCI du Var, department where the design office is installed, have thus created a structure, Hyvar, and developed a training offer devoted to this type of machine. “Conducting a hydrogen vehicle, maintenance, how you do a full, etc., Professions will have to evolve, the need for training will be substantial, “observes Aurélien Coudray.