Almost eight years after its debut as a concept, we finally got to take a ride in a Tesla Semi at ACT Expo.
At ACT Expo, the largest industrial electric vehicle (EV) exhibition in America, we’ve been sharing our observations from the event over the past week.
The Tesla Semi, a prominent star of the current automotive landscape, recently secured a manufacturing foothold, with the company announcing its “on track for volume production in 2026.” When did we first hear about this place, though?)
At ACT Expo, Tesla unveiled a network of 46 public megachargers across the southern United States, providing convenient charging points for its Semi electric trucks.
Despite widespread discussion about the Semi, significant progress has yet to be made in deploying it to customers.
Although numerous successful unbiased trials have been conducted, and Tesla initially shipped its first Semis unit in 2022, the number of deliveries to other customers has remained relatively low since then. In late 2023, Tesla reported that around 140 semi-trucks had been delivered, nearly doubling the initial 70 units shipped exclusively to PepsiCo and Frito-Lay.
Recently, Tesla announced that its fleet has collectively clocked up 7.9 million miles, a mere 400,000 miles more than the previous update in September 2022. Despite efforts to resolve them, issues continue to transfer at a sluggish pace.
In its final month of production planning, we detected signs that the highly anticipated Tesla Semi was facing additional delays, accompanied by a dramatic revision to its estimated cost compared to initial projections. While discussions at ACT hinted that, even after the price hike, the Semi remains competitively priced compared to modern diesel semi-truck costs, as long as Tesla successfully scales its production and gets the vehicle to customers.
Despite containing some potentially hazardous details, our team is pleased to announce that our encounter with the Tesla Semi at ACT Expo was overwhelmingly positive, yielding firsthand insights into its impressive performance.
Tesla hosted exclusive ride-alongs of its Semi on the private backlot of Anaheim Convention Center, granting us a unique opportunity for a brief, slow-paced ride aboard the cutting-edge electric semi-truck – sans trailer. Among all the strains present, the Tesla strain stood out for its extraordinary length; it was also remarkably swift, with Tesla accommodating multiple individuals seated behind the driver.
While these aren’t Tesla’s primary public ride-alongs, we’ve had exclusive access to this event, a privilege reserved for only a select few, as the company rarely grants permission to film its vehicles in action. View the comprehensive six-minute video capturing every moment of our adventure, now available for your enjoyment.
The eight-year wait since our 2017 unveiling has passed uneventfully, except for our consistent preparation over this time.
Our driver emphasized the key benefits of electric heavy-duty transportation as showcased by Tesla, including significantly reduced emissions, simplified maintenance powertrains, regenerative braking for both energy recuperation and enhanced safety, substantially decreased noise levels, and more.
The entire journey was slow-paced, except for a brief moment when I urged the driver to give it more gas. With a satisfyingly responsive feel, the vehicle delivered snappy acceleration, complemented by robust off-throttle regenerative braking capabilities that Tesla is renowned for.
Despite its weighty reputation, the truck surprisingly exhibited a more agile response, effortlessly shifting through gears without the need for an exhausting 18-speed transmission. Now, we’ve tested Daimler’s eCascadia with a partial load, revealing an unexpectedly agile performance from a semi-truck.
While minimizing downtime is not the sole motivation behind these vans’ design, it’s crucial they can handle substantial payloads efficiently, allowing them to reach optimal speed more quickly and thereby reduce their impact on traffic flow, minimize disruptions during maneuvers, and so on.
A superior motor’s enhanced efficiency can significantly trim route times – consider a steep hill climb, where an electric boost gets you up faster and regenerative braking helps you descend quicker, ultimately saving precious minutes. Watch this video showcasing a Tesla Semi effortlessly outperforming traditional diesel vans on a challenging uphill climb, highlighting the significant advantages of electric vehicle technology.
The screens throughout the cabin have pulsed with energy, complemented by strategically placed cameras and Tesla’s intuitive navigation system displayed prominently. Despite this, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) visualization system on the left display lacked vitality, instead presenting a static image that offered little excitement.
In a well-marked parking area where numerous vans regularly entered and exited, the atmosphere remained surprisingly calm and free from unpleasant odors caused by exhaust fumes. It would be wonderful if every depot had its own unique character and charm.
