Truck Driver REACTS to Tesla Semi | I WAS WRONG!

Most of the commentary about the Tesla Semi including my own is coming from those with limited or no personal experience driving a commercial class 8 truck, so for this video I asked a professional truck driver named Luke what he really think about the Tesla Semi , and here is what he said.
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NOTE: The content found in this video should NOT be regarded as financial advice. I am not a financial advisor, and this is NOT in any way a recommendation or offer to buy or sell securities. While the information in this video is believed to be accurate at the time of recording, no guarantees are being made about the accuracy of the information presented in the video. As of the recording of this video, I am NOT invested in Tesla stock or securities, nor any other company mentioned in this video.

[@WhoDidThati]

I work as a concrete truck driver. My seat is centered. It does take a touch of adjustment to learn how to drive it. Buuuuttttttt, after only an hour or so, it becomes natural. Of course there will be some times that you kind of veer over, but for the most part, it becomes normal. I’ve been doing this for years and have driven rear discharge (normal left hand driving cab) along with swapping (sometimes daily) to a front discharge (center cab driving). I can swap from one to the other on the fly and adjust with no problems. This issue is a nonissue.

[@mrspeigle1]

In fairness to your experience, unless your concrete truck is backing a trailer it's not a apples to apples comparison.

[@steveschritz1823]

I was thinking about my days running farm tractor. It’s comfortable enough to operate from the center; the real issue is visibility. I’ve seen daycabs and yard dogs back in blindside in the tightest yards (hats off to those brave souls lol) because they can easily look out the back window.

[@ChitFromChinola]

Well said.

[@necromangerful]

How are you going to compare backing a little concrete truck to a semi truck with a 53” trailer 🤦‍♂️.

[@ChitFromChinola]

The point is that the centered driver position with cameras is actually going to be easier to drive than a conventional left-center position with only mirrors. Concrete trucks, tractors, combines, and other equipment already use the centered driver position, and it works well. It won’t be a disadvantage, and many drivers will prefer it. In conventional cabs, blind backing to the right and merging right are difficult.

[@GdaySport]

7 years ago, I moved from general haulage to supermarket deliveries which is very different - no more sleeping in the cab, back at the depot at the end of each shift, and usually only cover 200-300 miles per day. I think the Tesla semi would be a great fit for this type of logistics as the trucks could be charged at the deport at the end of each shift - tractors are split from the trailer at the end of could be plugged in before the next run for half an hour easily. I agree the centre driving position is an issue. Also, I work in the UK, so the truck format in it's current form would not work as it is too long (would need cab over variant).

[@isaacamante4633]

Sad that a cab over would impact aerodynamics, efficiency and range

[@DRVRLES]

Yes. This Tesla Semi has a better drag coefficient the Bugatti Chiron!

[@blessos]

Specifically what do you mean when you say "it's too long"?

[@grumpusmaximus9446]

@@blessos The overall length of the truck plus the trailer are limited in the UK and Europe, whereas in the US the trailer is only limited.

[@TecnamTwin]

@@grumpusmaximus9446 Which is stupid. Aero matters.

[@alexgayer85]

What a fun video… I’ve been driving trucks for the last 8 years and worked on the Tesla Semi program for 6 months. I can agree with much of what the interviewee says. Local work is definitely where Semi shines. There are only a couple controversial design elements I can think of, but much of it was mitigated pretty well.

[@sebastianorye2702]

But isn't the backing issue mitigated by looking at the backing camera views on the screen? Maybe not

[@gametimegladiators]

Truck drivers are used to looking out of the window @@sebastianorye2702 😂

[@chadc31]

Cool video. I’ve been driving trucks for around 20 years. The issue with charging is really not much of an issue at all. What Luke failed to mention was the fact that every truck driver in America is required to take a 30 minute break before they reach eight hours of driving. That 30 minutes could be used to charge. After that you’re only allowed three more hours of driving. For a total of 11 hours of drive time per day. You can’t drive legally the number of miles that a full charge plus a recharge of 70% would give you in a day. The most a driver could legally drive in a day would be the amount of miles. You could drive in 11 hours. I hope that makes sense.

[@That-Guy_]

I rounded the numbers for the sake of brevity so it might look like my math it off by a bit but it's close enough. My location has 21 trucks. We run about 2.5 million miles a year. We spend $2.4 million on fuel per year. So if each Tesla Semi plus equipment/ upgrades was $300k to $350k and we got the 1.7kwh/mi as stated by Tesla at our power cost of $0.04/kwh we would save ,just in fuel costs, about $2.2 million/yr. That would only take about 3 years to fully pay for all 21 truck plus equipment/upgrades. I plan on doing a more detailed breakdown for a presentation for my bosses. I will reach out to you when I get it done.

[@bobbybishop5662]

Don't forget to figure in the road taxes that are currently paid for in diesel prices that will eventually be added to charging cost to keep the flow of money coming in that helps pay for the maintenance of the highways.

[@bobwallace9753]

Include maintenace/repair cost. Brake rebuild costs. Out of service for service lost use time. Tesla has said 7 cents per hour at their megawatt stations if there's a need to charge away from home. 1.7 kWh per mile is for a fully weight loaded truck. If your company averages less per load then your !.7 should be lowered. Love to hear back what you presented, just the summary numbers. And how it was received.

[@NowHari]

How much do you think it will cost to wire your depot to say charge 5 trucks a night or 21? Does your local utility supply that kind of energy?

[@That-Guy_]

@@NowHari We are also a production facility so we already pull a lot of power. I think about 400+ megawatts a month. I will have to double check that when I get back from vacation. I believe the Tesla semis are about $150k to $200k and I added $100k to $200k each truck on top of that for electric equipment upgrades and charging stations when I did the cost estimate.

[@bobwallace9753]

@@That-Guy_ When Tesla announced the semi they said $150,000 for the 350 mile day hauler and $180,000 for the long range version. I expect they will deliver at those prices initially to the first purchasers but will increase the price later to account for inflation. I expect your cost to hook up is high. But better to estimate high than too low. If you are day hauling and your rigs are parked at night then you don't need megawatt rapid chargers. Although you might get one per X number of trucks and wire it up with multiple cables and automatic switching. Charge two per hour for up to 350 miles each. 24 trucks could be charged in 12 hours.

[@lemongavine]

The wheels aren’t turning during diesel maintenance work. The Tesla semi doesn’t need that so that time is saved and so is the cost of maintenance.

[@mauricemeijers7956]

When backing up you get out of the semi and guide it via your phone. Seems like a logical FSD future feature.

[@NURGLESBLESSING]

....

[@Thepeanutgallery666]

Finally, somebody actually talked to an actual driver about this. These are all things that I've been saying for years. I'm excited for it, and I can't wait to see it, but it still has a long way to go. With that having been said, this truck would probably be great for short-haul, or for local day cab application. With the exception of the backing thing. When you're backing your truck, the cab is not in line with the trailer, all you can see in your driver side mirror is trailer. On the passenger side, you're looking out in the toolies. which means that your mirrors are worthless. You need that driver's side line of sight. Even with adjustable camera angles, you need to be able to focus on small details behind you and you need to do it in a glance. The human eye just doesn't work with cameras and video monitors the same way that it works with mirrors and line-of-sight. This is an 80,000 lb truck that's made out of aluminum and steel. You need everything you have to keep from damaging equipment, or worse yet, hurting or killing somebody. It looks to me like the people who designed this truck surrounded themselves with yes-men and didn't actually speak to anybody who knows what they're talking about in the discussion.

[@bradstewart7007]

I guarantee they hired a lot of people deeply experienced in trucking for this project. If backing up were and issue they would not sell a single one.

[@christopherpearman3422]

“Tesla” autos are delivered by truck, as far as I know. So, the designers definitely had plenty of truck-drivers to answer any question those designers had when creating this vehicle. Also, self-driving trucks are been developed and so this also means self-backing-up trucks are in the near-future.

[@mikemccormick6128]

Yes, a big step in the right direction, but I will be looking forward to the review with input from an experienced Tesla truck driver.

[@longnamenocansayy]

i really thought you could get out of the cab and control it with a remote device. yes? no? does anyone know? i never taked to anyone who drove one.

[@haley-94-ware74]

I worked for UPS in their Feeder Department for several years and the Tesla semi would cover most of the semi runs that their drivers bid on. The Tesla semi is not presently built for the long haul. UPS has one of the largest semi fleets in the US. Currently, UPS does have some long haul team runs and would definitely use diesel semis for those cross country runs. In talking to some of the UPS Feeder drivers I worked with, they felt it was a game-changer for UPS. The vast majority of the runs are 8.5 to 10.0 hour days. The range varies from 375-450 miles overall daily, with a turnaround period of at least 30 to 45 mins for the driver to take his meal. That meal time could be used for an additional charge, especially in cold weather. Thanks for seeking out the opinion of a OTR driver and I agree with his perspective, especially on backing accidents in the yard. It would be an adjustment in backing from the center, but the cameras on the "blind-side" would actually be a positive in my opinion. Also have to agree as well to your point of increased battery range in the near future.

[@Nill757]

The 15% range hit for cold factored in here is just for battery range lost. It does not count cab heat , microwave, entertainment for idling overnight as Luke indicated. That’s probably 30 kWh in the cold.

[@Nill757]

“… even over the last 3 or 5 years battery technology has improved” The standard Tesla gigafactory battery has not improved. The new cell package is not in the cell yet. Also, price of lithium has gone up 600% in last two years. There’s exactly one li mine in the US, w no plans for more.

[@Nill757]

“The best” Why? Why is the 500 mile range Tesla the best for, say, a 200 mile run given the Tesla system cost? What’s the cost of a 200 mi rig from the competition, and what’s the cost of that Tesla charger w multiple mega packs?

[@glenngarry4750]

@@Nill757 you can calculate the "hotel" load at about 500W (0.5 kw) per hour. So an 8 hour overnight stop is about 4 kwh of a 900 kwh pack.

[@Nill757]

@@glenngarry4750 Including cab heat in a deep cold night? More than 500W.

[@jeffreyoneill4082]

The market for trucks doing shorter trips is huge. I don't think the current limits will be much of a sales killer.

[@omnicurious2949]

This video is easily the dumbest and the worst video on this channel! Almost everything said is erroneous! It's become fashionable to channel a 'trucker's voice'....but most are luddites who really don't understand how an Electric vehicle works and give out nonsensical reviews! - Most important error I wish to point out is the 'winter range'. EVs lose most of their energy in winters due to heating the passenger cabin....and loses ~20% of range. But the energy required to heat a Model 3/S/Y/X is almost same as the energy required to heat the Semi cabin WHILE SEMI CARRIES 10 TIMES LARGER BATTERY. So, the net-loss of Semi range in winters is a mere 2%-3% and not 20%! - Comparing charging times to fuel-filling times is nonsensical! And saying that a truck driver will drive ALL DAY is utter BS! By law the drivers have to stop and rest after every ~4 hours! It should be possible (when freeway megachargers are in place) to coincide rest-time with charge-time. AT THIS TIME Tesla Semis are not good for coast-to-coast trucking bcos the freeway Megachargers are not in place....but should be in place in 1 to 2 years. No need to wait for 'instant charging' to match refueling times! - Also, the truck-driver (who's paid on hourly basis) DOES NOT determine what kind of truck he/she will ride! It's the FLEET OPERATOR who does! Electric Semis will save the Fleet Operator 10s of thousands of $$ every year (with savings in fuel costs and maintenance). It's small potatoes if the driver needs to be paid for an extra 30 minutes (in case the rest-stop and charge-stop don't coincide).

[@theodorehaskins3756]

@@omnicurious2949 Exactly! So you’re the man and I think you're a spot on with everything you just said, and I couldn’t agree more, and so I am 100% in agreement with you, and it's not like it's going to happen overnight, and so drivers who are currently driving these Mac 18 wheelers will be safe for now, and if you know Elon Musk, you know that, 1) he's always wrong on his time schedules and 2) he wants to automate everything, and the trucking industry is going to be no different. So talking to people who have no experience with electric vehicles or electric semi trucks is worthless in my humble opinion. So I say relax, as this isn’t gonna happen overnight, and so no need to get crazy here, as there will still be a need for human drivers of semi trucks, there just won't be a need for drivers to drive Tesla Semi-Trucks or for that matter Tesla vehicles, because I have the latest version of Tesla’s Full Self Driving (FSD) ADAS features, and I can tell you from experience that they're not that far away from solving this thing, and so I don't want to put a time date stamp on it, but if I was the competition, I'd be shaking in my boots, because despite what you may have heard from other people, I'm here to tell you that, Tesla has got this thing, and the other guys, well I don't know what the hell they're doin, but it's not going to take much longer for Tesla to crack the code on Full self driving, and that happens, all I can say is OMG, what will they do next? So again relaxed, as there’s no need to get all worked up, as the Tesla Semi-Trucks are just starting to go into production and so it's going to take some time to ramp up that production, but we all know demand for this particular product is going to be through the roof, just like it was for their passenger cars/SUV’s, and soon to be for their CyberTruck that I and so many others can't wait to see and drive. Cheers🥂

[@omnicurious2949]

@@theodorehaskins3756 100%

[@tedmoss]

@@omnicurious2949 Consider independent owners, they will have even more of an advantage when this gets going, but might need some convincing.

[@omnicurious2949]

@@tedmoss Ultimately the economics will win out...nothing more convincing than having a pocket full of money!

[@technologyandsociety21C]

Kudos for having the courage to point out potential weaknesses of a Tesla product.

[@johnreese3762]

Very good info/video! Thank for you and Luke for putting this together!

[@micjotar]

I think the important thing to realise here is that it will not replace everything right away. It needs to be good enough to replace some use cases now, and improve over time. My understanding is that it will replace some use cases.

[@patterisepi]

From the start I thought of the Tesla Semi as the first and easy use case that the competitors can't even touch. This should hit that mark nicely and maybe the next model will have a rest area and more ability to do long haul. The first problem for long hauls is the lack of charging infrastructure, there seems to be no chargers at all right now.

[@davidmenasco5743]

@@udhehfhehcuw9169 Why are you reporting completely bogus information? Electric trucks have been replacing diesel trucks for at least three years in Europe. Volvo and Daimler and others have had working models for that long. They sell every truck they can make. The load capacity is very close to diesel. Will every single thing about a truck driver's life stay exactly the same forever? No. Absolutely not. Change is coming. Will people adjust? Have people ever not adjusted? It's what separates us from lizards and gorillas.

[@Nill757]

@@davidmenasco5743 Specifics? “…have been replacing “ That’s vague. I see report of about 2 million heavy trucks sold global per year. By contrast, Volvo, with the biggest market share of ev trucks in Europe, expects to globally sell …1100 in the next year, according to Volvo press release. The number of registered heavy ev trucks is registered in the hundreds. “Selling every truck they can make”? These are hobby shop numbers. Stating euphemisms like ‘change is coming’ does not grant anyone even slight knowledge of what that change may be.

[@davidmenasco5743]

@@udhehfhehcuw9169 "Doesn't work as well" is a subjective statement. I would say that a truck that carries cargo but doesn't poison the air works much better than what we have now. But of course it will depend on your priorities. Some think it's more important to get the latest crap from Ikea than to effectively cure half a dozen kinds of cancer. Ultimately, a balance will have to be struck. Balance that has really been lacking for the last hundred years. Economists are learning new ways to account for hidden or "external" costs. When they are accounted for, the whole calculus changes.

[@davidmenasco5743]

@@Nill757 My reply was to someone making two false statements. EV trucks can carry much more than half the load that ICE trucks can carry. To suggest they can't is just false. Companies buying battery electric trucks are not planning to lose money on them. The demand far outstrips supply because the buyers expect a significant return on their investment. If the return was not there, Volvo, and every other major truck maker on the planet, would not be developing new battery electric models. You're obviously a better rhetorician than I am a truck expert. But these basic facts are obvious to any attentive observer. When people spread FUD, I object.

[@jasongooden917]

I wasn't a Semi driver but I was a forklift driver. Propane would last two 8 hour shifts, Natural gas lasted 2 hours and electric lasted one 8 hour shift.. Even though Propane lasted the longest everyone hated it because you had to go outside in the winter and carry out the empty tank and carry in the full one then set it up. Natural Gas was easy to refuel but you had to do it 4 times a shift. Everyone was fighting over the electric because you unplugged it and worked and plugged it in at the end of the shift and there was enough time between shifts to charge the truck. I think the same will happen for driving Semi's in the near future.

[@martinbeaumier7172]

We have a cat electric forklift and it’s awesome! So much better then a propane lift

[@billedgin2496]

Agreed to a point. But let's change those numbers slightly. You only get paid while you're actually operating the forklift. You must complete a 10 hour shift before you can be done for the day. (Or the battery on the forklift dies at around the 6 hour mark. Take your pick.) Using the electric forklift, you must wait for the battery to charge, unpaid, during your shift. Does that change things? My truck averages 1100-1200 miles on a fill up. I rarely take longer than 10 minutes to fuel up and get back on the road. 600 miles per day is common. I would guess less than half the places I spend the night at currently will have electric vehicle charging within the next 20 years. I typically fuel in the middle of the day about every other day. I get excited when I can actually spend a night where I get fuel, because fueling and doing my pretrip at the same time saves me several minutes on my logbook. I only get paid for the miles the truck is going.

[@dr.gregoryweisswassernd7251]

Thanks for the practical experience. Electric motors are very efficient and durable and reliable. Better in most use cases for mechanical power. Plus no exhaust.

[@ourv9603]

YEARS AGO, As a simi mechanic, I worked on a simi for Yellow Freight. This truck had 4 240gallon diesel tanks, more than any truck I had ever worked on. When I finished I took my invoice into the fleet mgr for his signature & I asked him about those 4 tanks. He said the idea was to ensure the truck had clean fuel that Yellow had bought at wholesale price and enough fuel to drive from Oakland to New Jersey without refueling. !

[@finecutpost]

A very well made and presented video I suspect that the current generation of Tesla trucks will be for shorter trips or lighter loads. One additional point is that if the truck could be charging while being unloaded there is a huge time saving. Thanks for the great work

[@mikebailey2970]

Thank Luke for taking time to share his opinion. I believe when the Semi was first presented to the public the intent was to be initially employed at warehouse hub distribution points. It has been a while but I believe Elon made a point of saying that the largest percentage of semi miles driven were in this capacity rather than the long haul miles driven. I wonder if in the coming years there may be a possibility to charge these semis while they are parked and the trailers are being unloaded like at supermarkets, Walmart's etc to leverage their time while parked? Hopefully this semi is a good start and future iterations and improvements come quicker than the wait time to see the first units delivered 8)

[@omnicurious2949]

This video is easily the dumbest and the worst video on this channel! Almost everything said is erroneous! It's become fashionable to channel a 'trucker's voice'....but most are luddites who really don't understand how an Electric vehicle works and give out nonsensical reviews! - Most important error I wish to point out is the 'winter range'. EVs lose most of their energy in winters due to heating the passenger cabin....and loses ~20% of range. But the energy required to heat a Model 3/S/Y/X is almost same as the energy required to heat the Semi cabin WHILE SEMI CARRIES 10 TIMES LARGER BATTERY. So, the net-loss of Semi range in winters is a mere 2%-3% and not 20%! - Comparing charging times to fuel-filling times is nonsensical! And saying that a truck driver will drive ALL DAY is utter BS! By law the drivers have to stop and rest after every ~4 hours! It should be possible (when freeway megachargers are in place) to coincide rest-time with charge-time. AT THIS TIME Tesla Semis are not good for coast-to-coast trucking bcos the freeway Megachargers are not in place....but should be in place in 1 to 2 years. No need to wait for 'instant charging' to match refueling times! - Also, the truck-driver (who's paid on hourly basis) DOES NOT determine what kind of truck he/she will ride! It's the FLEET OPERATOR who does! Electric Semis will save the Fleet Operator 10s of thousands of $$ every year (with savings in fuel costs and maintenance). It's small potatoes if the driver needs to be paid for an extra 30 minutes (in case the rest-stop and charge-stop don't coincide).

[@bobwallace9753]

There are already Tesla megawatt chargers at PepsiCo Modesto and PepsiCo Sacramento. PepsiCo is the first buyer of Tesla semis to receive the product. Tesla also has semi chargers at their Fremont factory, along I-80 at Roseville (close to Sacramento and shortly before climbing to Donner Pass into Nevada, and at Gigafactory Reno.

[@zekew2418]

I expect the large companies will install high speed chargers at their aggregation/distribution centers where they already back a trailer up, decouple the cab and go get fueled and hook up the next load to go. They all have fueling already at their sites. When is the last time you saw a walmart truck fueling at a Loves???

[@mrspeigle1]

@Omni Curious lol stop every 4 hours by law. Oh you sweet ignorant summer child The rule in the United states is 11 hours driving and 14 hours working before a 10 hour mandatory rest period. A 30 minute break period before 8 full hours of driving wich can be spent on duty off duty or in the sleeper bunk. No more than 70 hours combined on duty and driving per week wich can be reset with a 34 hour continuous combinedsleeper bunk or offduty. This if course dosent go into the fun stuff that is split logging and big day exemptions for day cab operators. Most drivers are paid by the Mile or load, only city drivers get hourly pay and only with certain companies. Don't comment on things you know nothing about or insult people you obviously don't know.

[@omnicurious2949]

@@mrspeigle1 I knew someone would spot that error. I meant to correct it...but then I had copy-pasted it several times...so didn't bother fixing it in multiple places. 30 min mandatory break after 8hr continuous drive if no stop was made earlier....but in reality drivers do stop for atleast a bathroom break...they're not fighter pilots wearing diapers! Irrespective of what truck drivers FEEL about EVs, its the fleet owners who decide based on profit calculation! Truckers have ZERO idea about electric semis! I had a long argument with a trucker earlier who thought a Electric Semi without a way to downshift gear is a no-no on a downgrade....chap had ZERO idea about regen! He further wanted a 'jake brake' inside an electric motor. What a luddite!

[@typhoon320i]

Right off the bat, it will work for: pick up and delivery (P&D), line haul, and any big company fleet, that parks in a predictable place at night. like Walmart, Target, Nestle, Pepsi, basically any company big enough to have their own brand signage, on their trailer.

[@FrunkensteinVonZipperneck]

One of the first customers to reserve a (lot of) TeSemis was Loblaws - a nation-wide chain of supermarkets in Canada. They'll buy as many as Tesla let's them have.

[@alltheusernameswastaken8936]

wait until they release the official loading capacity. That is still a secret Pepsico is not allowed to divulge. the battery mass removes loading capacity.

[@JensSchraeder]

Basically 95 percent of the trucks out there don’t park at the same place every night.

[@typhoon320i]

@@JensSchraeder I was an OTR driver. Your percentage is wrong.

[@JBoy340a]

Exactly. There is a reason Pepsi was the launch customer. They are adding infrastructure at their distribution centers for charging, and the vehicles are at the center at start of shift.

[@mattbell1907]

I'm surprised there was no mention of how regen braking down hills is safer and adds efficiency. That was the thing my friend was most excited about because he has been driving a semi and had brakes fade going downhill before.

[@michaelmccusker7265]

That and the extra power going up hills.

[@billcichoke2534]

That's because there's no proof it us. Also, you have no means of stopping it other than putting in some accelerator. Even diesels with automated transmissions give you some options as to how to feed in engine braking, which makes them FAR better and safer. But you DO have to know how to drive. All this vehicle does, is give NON drivers a false sense of skill or control. Under slippery conditions, these vehicles will be the first into the runaway ramp, NOT THE LAST.

[@kylewest100]

Anyone who has brake fade going down a mountain doesn’t know how to drive or is reckless.

[@alanmay7929]

Lol….. diesels have Jake brake, engine brake…..

[@alanmay7929]

@@michaelmccusker7265 lol…. So tesla needs 1000hp to do what 500hp trucks does!? A 750hp diesel truck volvo hauls about 4x80,000lbs so lol…..

[@blackraptordk]

Thank you so much for an honest review! It was really needed!

[@thelimitingfactor]

Great video!

[@adrwong8]

One thing to note is the 6.5 miles per gallon is an average for the semi industry, the data doesn't include if this is fully loaded or average load or mix of fully and empty load. 500 mile semi is fully loaded, so if you consider when mixed with empty load or average load, the mileage isn't 500 anymore, probably between 600 and 700 miles average. Also the truck can be charged as the cargo is offloaded though decoupling with the trailer like Pepsi Co has done with on-site chargers. Diesel trucks typically go offsite to fuel up or along the trip.

[@mrspeigle1]

True however currently you drop the trailer in the door go get another trailer and get rolling, the equipment is still down for the charging period still an additional 30 minutes out of the day plus however much time it takes to drive to/from the charger and hook/unhook the cables. It's why these are good as terminal trucks not as over the road.

[@spuddy4063]

And those long haul rigs seem to find a truck stop at night too, And pray tell what the F is wrong with plugging in while that truck driver sleeps through the night or ends up being with his rig for a few hours while he rests having a meal? After all 350 extra miles of range is not very inconvenient now is it for a 30 minute rest stop? How many truck drivers stop to eat for more than that?

[@mrspeigle1]

@Spuddy trucks tops, rest areas, exit ramps. The real world is not a perfect day. 2 yes while we can spend more time sitting and eating we usually eat while rolling. As was pointed out in the video, if the wheels aren't turning, your not making money.

[@fredrik3685]

We don't know thw weight when empty. It could still be 80.000 lbs.

[@mrspeigle1]

@Fredrik no we don't, however we do know that Pepsi is not going to get ripped off and that loads of soda can be very heavy. Time will tell, once PepsiCo drivers are out from under whatever nda they are working on we will probably get a cat scale of the empty truck.

[@sphinxtsi]

this is about the cleanest, and most balanced view I've seen from either side. thank you.

[@thisplayer01]

Thanks to you and Luke for these relevant and interesting insights - best, Carlo

[@dewiz9596]

I guess Luke doesn’t stop for lunch. . .

[@johnsutphin1152]

6 years under my belt in otr there are times when you pee in a wide mouth pepsi bottle and dispose of later till you get really good at it then you pee in a bag and toss it out the window and lunch is in the cooler within arms reach Ive been in la traffic and tossed a pack of cigs to another driver

[@bobwallace9753]

@@johnsutphin1152 Until you get your digital log checked.

[@jmbelarmin]

Regarding the ‘15 min’ diesel truck stop… I believe if you actually do a sampling test on actual truck drivers, this will go up to closer to 30 mins. It’s the same as when you ask how many mins do people actually stop for gasoline re fueling at a rest stop in the hiway. Most will say 10 mins. But in actuality it is closer to 20-30 mins.

[@rui518]

Tried that other day, stop at a highway station just for bathroom and smoke break, 15 minutos of having the car stopped. If you get a coffee or something like that you can easily spend 20 to 30 minutes...

[@Species-lj8wh]

It is a huge trucker taboo to be in the fuel island for any longer than fueling takes. You then pull out, park and then go inside to get your soda or your rest stop. Luke is correct on the actual time spent refueling.

[@RobinDemey]

@@Species-lj8wh but that's the whole point: you don't have to refuel. You go straight to the parking spot, plug in and go inside. So instead of fueling for 15 minutes, you can drink an extra coffee, read the newspaper...

[@Species-lj8wh]

@@RobinDemey That would be nice. Once there are chargers out there. Currently there isn't enough parking spots for Diesel Semi's much less chargers for future trucks. 80% of the time you find a spot in a truck stop. but that 20% your parked on an off ramp, or an old rest area that barely has working toilets. And who is paying for the millions of chargers needed? We have no dieselgate to force a MultiBillion dollar company to do so.

[@alanmay7929]

Lol…… you refill on diesel trucks about 1000miles+ of range in record time while on the tesla it’s barely 380ish miles for 30 min.

[@WayneBain]

For large companies with many trucks that run the same route year round, they could build a charging station as often as needed along each route. Then they could pre-stage fully charged Tesla tractors at these stations. Each driver would then just unhook from his tractor, hook to a new one and keep going. His tractor is then charged fully for another driver. With good management and computers this could be achievable and still save money because of the overall savings from not using diesel.

[@fortissears5388]

How would buying almost twice as many EV trucks (or even more on very long supply chains) compared to ICE trucks be saving money?

[@toddr.lockwood843]

There was no mention of the freedom of leaving the Semi unattended while charging. This is one of the many benefits of driving Tesla vehicles, and it affords the driver the ability to get other tasks done while charging, such as using the restroom or purchasing food. If the the driver has their smartphone linked to the Semi, the vehicle can alert the driver when charging is nearly completed.

[@metaleggman18]

Driver's already use the freedom of fueling in the morning to do their pre-drive check, and use the freedom during loading and fueling for things like using the restroom and eating food, along with any mandated breaks. I get what you're saying, and it could provide a qol improvement if trucking was setup with a quality charging network. However, trucking is very much so a break neck business, so a lot of economic and legislative factors would have to come into play to allow for this. Most truckers QOL concern otr is their cabin, and we have yet to see how well tesla can handle the amenities most seasoned truck drivers keep in their cabin.

[@kalehallman]

By the time I clean my windshield and mirrors, check my tires and load (straps and chains for a flatbed operation) my tanks are full.

[@tylerdurden3722]

The inconvenience is, they only make money while the wheels are rolling.

[@paulsandgren8625]

@@kalehallman how long is that?

[@paulsandgren8625]

@@kalehallman how long is that?

[@Dolemite23554]

Seems like in addition to the quick charging mega chargers, we need cheaper lower power chargers at truck stops that can be used overnight.

[@davedavenport8673]

Yes, maybe they use a bunch of their 150kw old chargers as the truck stop chargers so they can just plug in and go to sleep.

[@JBoy340a]

I don't think long hauling is Tesla's current market. Their pick of Pepsi as the first customer was done specifically to show they are currently targeting the market from warehouse to store.

[@johntrotter8678]

Luke's views were quite coherent. "Shorter routes"can use up all the semis Tesla can make for years. Add some range. Add a night cab. Keep a focus on the driver.

[@omnicurious2949]

This video is easily the dumbest and the worst video on this channel! Almost everything said is erroneous! It's become fashionable to channel a 'trucker's voice'....but most are luddites who really don't understand how an Electric vehicle works and give out nonsensical reviews! - Most important error I wish to point out is the 'winter range'. EVs lose most of their energy in winters due to heating the passenger cabin....and loses ~20% of range. But the energy required to heat a Model 3/S/Y/X is almost same as the energy required to heat the Semi cabin WHILE SEMI CARRIES 10 TIMES LARGER BATTERY. So, the net-loss of Semi range in winters is a mere 2%-3% and not 20%! - Comparing charging times to fuel-filling times is nonsensical! And saying that a truck driver will drive ALL DAY is utter BS! By law the drivers have to stop and rest after every ~4 hours! It should be possible (when freeway megachargers are in place) to coincide rest-time with charge-time. AT THIS TIME Tesla Semis are not good for coast-to-coast trucking bcos the freeway Megachargers are not in place....but should be in place in 1 to 2 years. No need to wait for 'instant charging' to match refueling times! - Also, the truck-driver (who's paid on hourly basis) DOES NOT determine what kind of truck he/she will ride! It's the FLEET OPERATOR who does! Electric Semis will save the Fleet Operator 10s of thousands of $$ every year (with savings in fuel costs and maintenance). It's small potatoes if the driver needs to be paid for an extra 30 minutes (in case the rest-stop and charge-stop don't coincide).

[@Drilling249]

@@omnicurious2949 Really? It's really hard to say this is a good product when most of the stuff you say it needs to become a good product simply does not exist yet. I mean all they have to do is totally redesign the interior of the vehicile and build a mega charger infrastructure across the country and then you sorta have a good thing here.

[@omnicurious2949]

@@Drilling249 70+% of Semi truck routes are less than 300 miles. So, yeah! Tesla Semis are ready for business even without the Megacharger network. It's not uncommon for folks to quote extreme cases to beat down on a new and emerging product....but the fact remains that for a vast majority of fleet operators 500 miles is plenty. In fact a large number of them will actually even settle for the lower ranged (300 mile) version...because that's all they need! Eventually with Megacharger network being built out...long range trucking will also be possible with Tesla Semis

[@garyjensen3414]

"night cab"----is a sleeper cab....

[@nathanwillan2159]

@@omnicurious2949 The energy loss to heating is not the same in a diesel because you have a radiator, also known as a heater core, warmed by the already circulating coolant. In an EV heat is generated like a space heater obviously requiring much more electrical energy. The OTR driver will not want to work with EV unless his time is changed to hourly most likely or until they can keep pace with a diesel. You say 70% of routes are 300 miles as well, sure but after that route the chances are the driver is dispatched again.

[@georgelewisray]

THANKS !!! for a fair and balanced look at an increasingly important topic .

[@JeffreyDMcCord]

Excellent questions and great analysis by Luke! I have high hopes that the needed improvements will happen at a faster pace tho; maybe more like 3-5 years rather than 5-10 years?

[@paulo2614ify]

Agree Jeff 3-5 yrs ciao paul

[@isovideo7497]

Heating batteries takes less energy for larger packs - dimensions grow as the cube-root of the battery volume, area as the square-root, just like larger animals can stay warm more easily in a cold climate. The number of battery cycles (the Tesla semi doesn't use LFP batteries) is around 500-700, not good enough unless the batteries are easily swappable.

[@omnicurious2949]

This video is easily the dumbest and the worst video on this channel! Almost everything said is erroneous! It's become fashionable to channel a 'trucker's voice'....but most are luddites who really don't understand how an Electric vehicle works and give out nonsensical reviews! - Most important error I wish to point out is the 'winter range'. EVs lose most of their energy in winters due to heating the passenger cabin....and loses ~20% of range. But the energy required to heat a Model 3/S/Y/X is almost same as the energy required to heat the Semi cabin WHILE SEMI CARRIES 10 TIMES LARGER BATTERY. So, the net-loss of Semi range in winters is a mere 2%-3% and not 20%! - Comparing charging times to fuel-filling times is nonsensical! And saying that a truck driver will drive ALL DAY is utter BS! By law the drivers have to stop and rest after every ~4 hours! It should be possible (when freeway megachargers are in place) to coincide rest-time with charge-time. AT THIS TIME Tesla Semis are not good for coast-to-coast trucking bcos the freeway Megachargers are not in place....but should be in place in 1 to 2 years. No need to wait for 'instant charging' to match refueling times! - Also, the truck-driver (who's paid on hourly basis) DOES NOT determine what kind of truck he/she will ride! It's the FLEET OPERATOR who does! Electric Semis will save the Fleet Operator 10s of thousands of $$ every year (with savings in fuel costs and maintenance). It's small potatoes if the driver needs to be paid for an extra 30 minutes (in case the rest-stop and charge-stop don't coincide).

[@bobwallace9753]

Structural battery packs in Tesla EVs are attached in a way that makes them replaceable. We do not know the operating cycles for a T-semi. I suspect your cycle life is low. We're seeing Tesla EVs reaching 300,000 miles with little range loss. Even if the pack had to be replaced after 500,000 miles there would still be a massive cost savings. And a 500 mile pack degraded to 80% capacity could serve for many more thousands of miles as a day hauler pack. A 200 mile daily route could use as little as 40% remaining capacity.

[@omnicurious2949]

@@bobwallace9753 The way to analyze is to look at the number of 'charge cycles' (as miles per kw and battery size varies). Tesla's 2170.....which are designed for 1500 cycles. So a 500 mile battery pack is expected to last for 750,000 miles...with range degradation to 80%-85% original range. So, at 750,000 mile odometer reading, a 500-mile-Tesla-Semi should still be able to give 400-425 miles!!!

[@bobwallace9753]

@@omnicurious2949 I pretty much agree with your math. But many will not accept that sort of claim until we see real world data. And LFP batteries seem to be increasing kWh/kg so we might be looking at batteries with a 10,000 to 15,000 full cycle lifespan. Charging from 10% to 80% is only a 70% full cycle. Try that math on for size. 😉

[@lapin46]

at 50% degradation, they still have more capacity as current competition new.

[@milescoleman910]

Worth remembering for the future. The Semi is able to be used in the giant giga factories in a manner that has never been done before in that it can drive through the inside of the factory and deliver to the actual department where the goods are needed. Vehicles with exhaust have never been able to do this. As a result the design of factories have had to be mindful of external delivery for departments. More factories will be built with the ability to ‘drive through’ as time goes on. Presumably they will then be able to be loaded and unloaded by automated or even fixed robotic limbs. .

[@mikeskidmore6754]

having the seat in the center of the truck will depend on how good the back cameras and screens work

[@hernandojimenez5102]

"The truth will set you free" excellent point of view, thank you for your perspective 😊

[@MegaLokopo]

Wouldn't you just continue charging the truck as you do everything else you need to do? bathroom, eating, washing windows, safety related checks.

[@richardalexander5758]

Well done. Luke did a great job relating the Simi to his real world experience.

[@richardblais5232]

no he didn't ...

[@richardalexander5758]

@@richardblais5232 Do you drive a Semi? If so, I'd like to know your thoughts. Thanks.

[@richardblais5232]

@@richardalexander5758 I wrote a longer reply on the main string …

[@richardalexander5758]

@@richardblais5232 ...couldn't find it.

[@richardblais5232]

@@richardalexander5758 that's too bad ... it's really well written ...

[@dougfrith5001]

A point regarding charging vs filling a tank: when you fill a gas tank, you're standing there holding the nozzle; when you charge, you plug it in and you can do something else. Need to visit a restroom? Need a coffee or sandwich? You can get it while the vehicle is charging. If you're filling the tank and you need to get a coffee, first one, then the other. Thanks.

[@stevetdean1966]

Wrong. Go to a truck stop sometime. Very few truckers HOLD the nozzle while they're fueling. Most OTR drivers are fueling two tanks at once. How long do you think their arms are?

[@awnyca4077]

When your job is delivery and making money when the wheels turn, the Tesla Semi is a joke

[@alexlongmore621]

A good and fair response and was interesting to hear a truck drivers thoughts

[@marvin-rollinusa7962]

Your comments / calculations are spot on ! The tesla truck will be great for a point to point trip ( Pepsi bottler to Pepsi distribution centers ) . The charging network and parking will take much longer to build out ! Luke and his comments mirror my experiences .

[@davidlemieux615]

And point to point, under 250 miles is…. Like 80+%! Not bad. I’ll take 80% and leave the 20%.

[@omnicurious2949]

This video easily the dumbest and the worst video on this channel! Almost everything said is erroneous! It's become fashionable to channel a 'trucker's voice'....but most are luddites who really don't understand how an Electric vehicle works and give out nonsensical reviews! - Most important error I wish to point out is the 'winter range'. EVs lose most of their energy in winters due to heating the passenger cabin....and loses ~20% of range. But the energy required to heat a Model 3/S/Y/X is almost same as the energy required to heat the Semi cabin WHILE SEMI CARRIES 10 TIMES LARGER BATTERY. So, the net-loss of Semi range in winters is a mere 2%-3% and not 20%! - Comparing charging times to fuel-filling times is nonsensical! And saying that a truck driver will drive ALL DAY is utter BS! By law the drivers have to stop and rest after every ~4 hours! It should be possible (when freeway megachargers are in place) to coincide rest-time with charge-time. AT THIS TIME Tesla Semis are not good for coast-to-coast trucking bcos the freeway Megachargers are not in place....but should be in place in 1 to 2 years. No need to wait for 'instant charging' to match refueling times! - Also, the truck-driver (who's paid on hourly basis) DOES NOT determine what kind of truck he/she will ride! It's the FLEET OPERATOR who does! Electric Semis will save the Fleet Operator 10s of thousands of $$ every year (with savings in fuel costs and maintenance). It's small potatoes if the driver needs to be paid for an extra 30 minutes (in case the rest-stop and charge-stop don't coincide).

[@bryanwhitton1784]

@@omnicurious2949 Tesla's view on this is evident by the design. No sleeper cab yet so it is not expected to be an otr truck yet. As for building the mega charger network, it is going to take a lot longer than 1 - 2 years. I would expect nothing less than 8 - 10 years. But that is fine. The logistics offices that will control how the trucks are allocated will keep them in point to point routes initially while they build time and experience with them. That gives them time to install MC's at warehouses and destinations points. Filling in the interstates will come but will take time. I think that the responses in this video are probably reasonable.

[@bobwallace9753]

@@bryanwhitton1784 Tesla installs Superchargers (multiple chargers at a charging station) in a single day once permits are pulled and the utility company has furnished the electrical hookup. Megawatt chargers should get installed just as rapidly with it perhaps taking the utility company longer to set up a higher wattage feed. I would think Tesla could set up a major coast to coast route along with a western and an eastern N/S route in less than a year. They have had a long time to work out plans and have already designed and manufactured the needed hardware. I expect they are well along with readiness to install chargers at owner locations like they have done with PepsiCo.

[@bryanwhitton1784]

@@bobwallace9753 It has taken almost ten years to get the SC's chargers at a point to cover the freeways and there are still areas where coverage is spotty. The MC's require a much larger support structure from the utilities and many more of them are needed at each location. It wouldn't surprise me that they would need 50+ at each stop and multiple parking lots to space out the traffic. You think that truckers would accept being queued up for 30 minutes to get on a charger for another 30 minutes. Oh no that would not be tolerated. This is their livelihood. It would take months for them to simply get the transformers for each double or quad pack of MC's installed. They will install fairly quickly but not 1 - 2 years. Permits alone could take that much time. There have been locations of the SC's that took multiple years for permits to be approved.

[@steverobbins4872]

Ask Luke this: If you drove the same 500 mile route that Tesla did in their recent video, how long would it take? The Tesla Semi did it in 8 hours, if I recall correctly. If the diesel takes longer because of inclines, that mitigates the charging time.

[@bobwallace9753]

Inclines plus ability to accelerate around slow traffic in the truck lane.

[@1DwtEaUn]

@@xaero3365 Tesla semi might have that same rule of thumb about down and up, but it seems like that might be a bit faster.

[@alanmay7929]

Nonsense!!!! The tesla was driving way slower only faster going uphill! A diesel can do that in record time.

[@alanmay7929]

@@bobwallace9753 crap!!!! So why can’t simple tesla model3 be faster than a even less powerful ICE car!? On a long route!?

[@bobwallace9753]

@@alanmay7929 If you speed you're going to use more energy. Batteries or diesel. IIRC the 500 mile demo took eight hours. 500 / 8 = 62.5 MPH average.

[@TBAnnounced]

Great video ! This is exactly a real world difference! 🔥

[@Brett.Gilbertson]

Thanks for this, your video was pretty well unbiased and open to what ever the facts were well done! ,as you say in summary the truck as it is will be mainly short distance until battery technology catches up

[@justinjja2]

The winter range loss of a semi would be significantly less than a Model Y. The cabin of a semi is a similar size to heat, but the battery is an order of magnitude larger. Winter range loss could easily end up under 10%.

[@omnicurious2949]

Indeed!!! This video is easily the dumbest and the worst video on this channel! Almost everything said is erroneous! It's become fashionable to channel a 'trucker's voice'....but most are luddites who really don't understand how an Electric vehicle works and give out nonsensical reviews! - Most important error I wish to point out is the 'winter range'. EVs lose most of their energy in winters due to heating the passenger cabin....and loses ~20% of range. But the energy required to heat a Model 3/S/Y/X is almost same as the energy required to heat the Semi cabin WHILE SEMI CARRIES 10 TIMES LARGER BATTERY. So, the net-loss of Semi range in winters is a mere 2%-3% and not 20%! - Comparing charging times to fuel-filling times is nonsensical! And saying that a truck driver will drive ALL DAY is utter BS! By law the drivers have to stop and rest after every ~4 hours! It should be possible (when freeway megachargers are in place) to coincide rest-time with charge-time. AT THIS TIME Tesla Semis are not good for coast-to-coast trucking bcos the freeway Megachargers are not in place....but should be in place in 1 to 2 years. No need to wait for 'instant charging' to match refueling times! - Also, the truck-driver (who's paid on hourly basis) DOES NOT determine what kind of truck he/she will ride! It's the FLEET OPERATOR who does! Electric Semis will save the Fleet Operator 10s of thousands of $$ every year (with savings in fuel costs and maintenance). It's small potatoes if the driver needs to be paid for an extra 30 minutes (in case the rest-stop and charge-stop don't coincide).

[@nelsonmarques1334]

You know that range loss in cold temperatures, it's much more than cabin heating. Batteries tend to work poorly in low temperatures. They cannot deliver full discharge and capacity. And if it's really cold, you will damage the battery. So when its cold, beside the natural drop in performance and range from the low temperature, it has to spend energy heating the battery pack. In such a big pack, probably the losses will be big. My RC batteries lose a bunch of ride time in the winter, and bigger the battery, greater the losses. And since I don't have battery heater, it will cut under full throttle due to the battery not delivering full discharge rate. And normal car batteries that work perfectly in the summer, and on the first cold days, they fail to start the car. That's why they rate cold cranking amps (CCA).

[@bobwallace9753]

@@nelsonmarques1334 Tesla EVs have very advanced thermal control systems. They can heat the battery pack, keeping it from 'freezing'. And once undersay batteries and electric motors give off heat which can be used to keep the batteries at the desired optimal temperature.

[@1DwtEaUn]

@@nelsonmarques1334 You also need to account for thermal mass here, as some pointed out this has something like 10 model S P100 battery packs so lots of mass to drop in temp in a package with likely less surface area to environment. I doubt it would be worse than model S cold losses and likely better due to reduced surface area to mass in packaging.

[@nelsonmarques1334]

@@bobwallace9753 still spends energy to heat the pack, so the range loss is not related only to cabin heating.

[@peterdog15]

Thank you Luke, we appreciate your expertise and analysis, very insightful.

[@richardblais5232]

I don't think so ...

[@functionalvanconversion4284]

Great review!

[@AudiTTQuattro2003]

Great discussion. Your best video yet.

[@robkeshav800]

Great presentation Jon. I saw Luke's video and it was impressive. He is very articulate and knows his stuff. It helps that he owns a MY so his perspective were relevant vis-a-vis EV Semi. As a suggestion can you get a Tesla Semi driver on your channel? It will be great if you can get the guy who drove 500 miles on the Tesla Semi demo video.

[@omnicurious2949]

This video is easily the dumbest and the worst video on this channel! Almost everything said is erroneous! It's become fashionable to channel a 'trucker's voice'....but most are luddites who really don't understand how an Electric vehicle works and give out nonsensical reviews! - Most important error I wish to point out is the 'winter range'. EVs lose most of their energy in winters due to heating the passenger cabin....and loses ~20% of range. But the energy required to heat a Model 3/S/Y/X is almost same as the energy required to heat the Semi cabin WHILE SEMI CARRIES 10 TIMES LARGER BATTERY. So, the net-loss of Semi range in winters is a mere 2%-3% and not 20%! - Comparing charging times to fuel-filling times is nonsensical! And saying that a truck driver will drive ALL DAY is utter BS! By law the drivers have to stop and rest after every ~4 hours! It should be possible (when freeway megachargers are in place) to coincide rest-time with charge-time. AT THIS TIME Tesla Semis are not good for coast-to-coast trucking bcos the freeway Megachargers are not in place....but should be in place in 1 to 2 years. No need to wait for 'instant charging' to match refueling times! - Also, the truck-driver (who's paid on hourly basis) DOES NOT determine what kind of truck he/she will ride! It's the FLEET OPERATOR who does! Electric Semis will save the Fleet Operator 10s of thousands of $$ every year (with savings in fuel costs and maintenance). It's small potatoes if the driver needs to be paid for an extra 30 minutes (in case the rest-stop and charge-stop don't coincide).

[@tv-ld3wv]

@@omnicurious2949 But still he has done efforts by getting answers of real trucker

[@omnicurious2949]

@@tv-ld3wv Sure, it's 'answers from a real trucker'....but they're (unfortunately) presented as FACTS/TRUTH....when they're not.

[@mrspeigle1]

@Omni Curious ooo copy pasta, does cleaner watt have a hater? Your hours of service commentary outs you as ignorant of American trucking.

[@mrspeigle1]

@Enrique A Thiele Solivan kind of what he was asking for?

[@jonfscott]

Here is something I don’t see mentioned. The 500 mile range is at full weight. My research shows few trucks are loaded to full weight. The truck at let’s say full in cargo but at lower weight could travel maybe my guess 1000 miles maybe even farther probably. We just don’t know those specs.

[@fredrik3685]

No we don't know max cargo weight. I wonder why?

[@jonfscott]

@@fredrik3685 we can estimate the weight by using the 10 foot jersey walls and adding them up that are on the trailer. What we don’t know is the range without the max weight which should be a lot farther than with the max rate so if the truck is towing potato chips. Obviously it could travel a lot farther than 500 miles. We also know that the truck can haul a full load of model Y on a car carrier trailer. We do know the weights of the model Y what I don’t know is how much a car carrier trailer weighs but I’m sure someone here can figure it out.

[@mdeasy]

Excellent video. Fair and informative!

[@HeavyMetalEngines]

The Tesla Semi is a good short haul distribution truck but the Hyliion ERX seems like the better choice for long haul with a 1000 mile range!

[@danielch6662]

That isn't electric. It isn't even PHEV. It's a CNG hybrid.

[@HeavyMetalEngines]

@@danielch6662 That is not true. It is driven by batteries and electric motors like the Tesla Semi. It just doesn’t need a bunch of heavy batteries because it carries an onboard generator to intermittently recharge as needed. Using RNG it is net carbon negative. It doesn’t put a strain on the power grid. No need to install costly chargers.

[@donbreneman6187]

25 yr driver... Backing would be fine with cameras. When backing to a dock, you usually cut it sharp until the trailer is lined up, then straighten the tractor and use the mirrors. For OTR, every parking space will have a charger, so by the time you walk in to grab a snack and use the bathroom, you are ready to go. EVs will mean that you no longer spend personal time fueling and paying. Breaks are mandatory, so you have to stop every couple hours. When all you have to do is park to charge, life gets easier. One other point, my brother oversees a fleet and DEF problems are HALF of their total maintenance.

[@yagersgarage8170]

Great video, thanks for doing a real world take on it … Luke was spot on ! The fan boys really don’t understand some critical issues. Please don’t overlook the support system behind the trucks. A fleet manager needs to know he’s got parts and service support from the company making the trucks ! The weight of the truck is also critical to maximize the payload that pays the bills ! The electric trucks are the way to go for short haul but really not ready for the long haul yet. Again , great job on being honest !

[@rogerstarkey5390]

Consider what might go wrong that's different to a "normal" truck. If a motor goes down, it won't kill the truck. Disengage, and run to the next stop. I imagine they'll have a mobile system to support the trucks just as with the cars.

[@1DwtEaUn]

@EnriqueThiele I would agree with some of the other folks, that it is not really long haul until you have an around 1,200 mile battery capacity and a sleeper cab. That said, it currently looks good for mid-range hauls.

[@fredrik3685]

"The weight of the truck is also critical" I agree, but what is the weight of the truck? I dont think they are proud of it since they don't tell.

[@stephenlawrence2962]

As a British farm worker we I'll seated in the middle and in the summer we are pulling 45ft trailers through the centre of Milton we have no problem in reversing these trailers in too difficult spots just using mirrors and good spatial awareness.

[@jossdeiboss]

What about the load capacity? Because of the weight of the batteries, the remaining load you can use for goods is reduced a lot, as you can see in the video of the truck going up-hill.

[@TheDawnofVanlife]

Many loads aren’t full capacity and I don’t know all the math, but it may affect far less loads then you think. Trucks aren’t packed to load, they’re packed for the shipment. I’ve worked in several warehouses where we unloaded trailers. Mostly shipping companies. I’m gray on the issue, but there are loads of short haul truck trips that are nowhere near full capacity.

[@jossdeiboss]

@@TheDawnofVanlife If you follow thunderf00t, a rough calculation shows that it can carry 1/3 of a normal truck. You maybe are thinking about parcels, but industries that have to ship materials to the other side of the country want to maximize capacity - and probably prefer capacity over performances. And that is of course to bring down transport prices as much as possible.

[@fboest]

Those axle weight limits are ridiculously low

[@bobwallace9753]

Improvements. Tesla continually improves their products. Teams of engineers can form instantly to consider a potential change, test the idea using Tesla software, and make a product change in as little as three hours. There's no need to wait for committee/executive approval or wait for budget inclusion. It's a system like none other (except other Musk companies). Sandy Munro, major product consultant engineer, has described Tesla improvements as happening at the speed of thought.

[@1DwtEaUn]

Yes, that is a big key that people seem to miss is that Agile seems to work really well for Tesla and not just in the software realm.

[@bobwallace9753]

@@1DwtEaUn Joe Justice (major Agile guy who has worked for and with Tesla) says that Tesla manufacturing has bypassed Agile by quite a bit.

[@vr4042]

The only issue with OTR long haul is the current lack of infrastructure. Once charging is at the truck stops, refueling will be even better, since the driver can plug in and go in and take a shower or grab some food instead of standing there waiting for the tank to fill up. Procedures will have to change a bit, but overall, an EV Semi is still better than an ICE Semi (again once the charging is in place). And soooo less expensive. As far as slip seating, all you need is about 2 hours a day to keep a semi charged to give it the charge to run the total miles a team could drive it. I'd like to know how many semis run 24/7 absolutely non-stop. Plus, truck stops could install slower chargers for overnight charging.

[@crackheadbiden3273]

If they left the truck charging then went and took showers etc. then you would have trucks blocking stations and creating a long line.

[@crackheadbiden3273]

@@MH-Tesla It’s not common…nice try though. You suggesting they do it is ridiculous

[@Olson2BW]

And since Tesla Super Chargers (and mega chargers) know who owns the Tesla Semi, whoever owns it will automatically be charged a fee based on local electric rates. It's all done automatically. You don't have to put in a credit card or anything. You've put in credit card information into the Tesla app on the smart phone and it automatically bills you as you unplug the charging cable from the Tesla vehicle. So you don't have to pay for a gas station attendant or deal with the smell and fumes of diesel or gas.

[@crackheadbiden3273]

@@Olson2BW You must be a kid. That is absolute nonsense

[@superstring101]

Such an interesting video! Thanks.

[@Chimel31]

Solo driving is probably not an issue even in winter: The 30 minute break is mandatory after 8 straight hours of driving, you can't drive more than 11 hours per day over a 14 hours windows, and you need 10 consecutive hours of rest or not driving. There are many opportunities to fit one or two 30 minute charging sessions. The charging sessions can happen during the 3 non-driving hours of the 14 hours driving window, and won't impact daily range in any way. They may make you 30 minutes late in winter if you don't take any break except for that one 30-minutes legal break (and charging session), as you'll need one extra daytime charging session before the overnight _slow_ charging session to get back to full range for the next morning.* A two-driver team that drives 1,400 miles per day will however need 4 charging sessions per day, 2 per driver, so again, only 30 minutes more than the legal 30 minutes break per driver. In Summer, you probably need only 3 daytime charging sessions. But as your driver said, overnight non-fast charging is mandatory both to spare the battery pack and the daytime work hours and range, and there's simply no such chargers for trucks yet. Truck rest areas need overnight charging in addition to the fast charging stations, like 1 hour or so to get 350 extra miles, than 3-4 more hours to top off to 96% and maybe 30 minutes more to get to 99% just before leaving, or whatever works best.

[@user-lo4er8wy9l]

I don't believe the Semi was designed to replace all cases for semi trucks. Companies like Pepsi / Frito-Lay are probably good examples where a driver has a reasonable route and comes back to charge. There are may other companies like this that will augment their fleet based upon the maximum efficiency of each route (mix of Semi and diesel).

[@bobwallace9753]

The first shipments are long haul packs (500 mile range, probably more) with a day hauler cab. That, I think, allows Tesla to real world test their tractors while keeping them close to home (Fremont, Modesto, Sacramento, Reno) and while building out longer charger routes. Perhaps the next route extension will be south towards LA along I-5. Maybe a first extension from Modesto to Fresno. Somewhere short of the Grapevine. Or maybe they will set up megawatt chargers all the way to LA. A charging station every 150 miles would mean only a couple of charging stations (~300 miles) between Modesto and LA.

[@ppsmall69420]

Thats how it was advertised tho 🤔

[@bobwallace9753]

@@ppsmall69420 Correct. A shorter, 350 mile range day hauler and a 500+ mile range long distance semi. The first semis Tesla is delivering to PepsiCo and hybrids, long distance packs with a day cab. Since the 'hybrid' could be used for a single driver one day delivery, up to 850 mile one-way or RT (~400 miles x 2) with a single charge along the way the hybrid could take some long distance haul jobs.

[@willm5814]

If I was an experienced semi-truck driver, I would be slightly threatened by this new vehicle. So many more people would be capable of handling this vehicle, especially new young drivers - no shifting gears - all of the safety features - driver assist - amazing visibility through computer monitors…eventually full-self-driving…

[@eugeniustheodidactus8890]

We learned in aviation that regardless of the amount of *gee-wizardry and pure fkn magic* installed, at the end of the day, _an aircraft is still an aircraft_ and it takes appropriate skills to handle when things aren't going _swimingly._ Down hill is still downhill..... heavy trucks are still heavy trucks..... and nothing is perfect all the time. ( we called them _"Rogue Electrons"_ for whenever the autopilot or flight director screwed up. ) Heavy snow in mountainous terrain will render Tesla's automation useless and that Semi won't put it's own chains on nor take them off;)

[@eugeniustheodidactus8890]

@Enrique A Thiele Solivan I own a Tesla, so I know what regen braking is.... but what happens when regen braking isn't available, such as in extremely cold wx or if it's just broke... even for several minutes when you need it? Then, the Semi is just another big heavy truck with even less controllability than the diesel!

[@datamatters8]

​@@eugeniustheodidactus8890 You may be right but at the end of the day the accident data will tell the tale. The regen breaking on down hill coupled with independent motors on one of the drive axles will make the Tesla Semi one of the safest class 8 trucks on the road. Ditto for freeway autopilot (even just as an ADAS) which with multiple cameras sees all around the vehicle and never gets distracted, drowsy or has drugs in its system. Again, the accident data will tell the tale and if true then the insurance rates will reflect it. As for snow, under eventual freeway FSD the truck can pull to the side of the road and signal the dispatcher to request road side chain service. It may have drawbacks but it is a possible solution. If a heavy thunder storm threatens the truck can pull to the side of the road until the storm passes. Much better than an accident. When freeway FSD gets good enough to drive into and out of truck stops it can pull into a charging station and either an attendant or a robotic arm can plug it into a charger. This can happen without city street level autonomy for which a local driver can take control. Given where FSD Beta is today (see YT videos) can freeway FSD be ready along with enough accident data to convince NHTSA and IIHS within say the next 5 years? IMHO the answer is yes.

[@Luigi64real]

Yeah the people that only know how to drive the 5 Tesla semis will really threaten legacy drivers lmao

[@Species-lj8wh]

@Enrique A Thiele Solivan Electrics have regenerative braking. Diesels have Engine brakes. That is what is used for medium- major downhills. Not the brakes.

[@tobiasmmueller]

Great insights!

[@fabianstuckmann3611]

If you do the math: In California you have to have a mandatory break before the Tesla Semi has to recharge.

[@memrjohnno]

I'm in the UK and know a couple of truckers. Owner drivers. One man band as such. Both of them would love a semi EV just on massively maintenance cost reduction and lower cost for distance travelled. This was maybe 7-8 months ago. I asked what they thought about just a single seat up front thinking they would like a passenger or co-pilot or some such beside the. Neither was worried about that but they did mention line of sight. If they can back the trailer in from either way they will always choose the direction with line of sight with head out the window. Never been a trucker myself but worked in the industry and its always amazed me how they can put it on a dime.

[@bobwallace9753]

I understand that the Tesla day hauler has a jump seat in the area behind the driver. Later there will be a sleeper cab.

[@alanmay7929]

Unfortunately they are too long for Europe cabover trucks are king in Europe

[@jmwarden1]

In my very early years of driving, I worked for an excavating company as a driver of a dump truck, the first time the boss saw me stick my head out the window he yelled at me to get my head back out of the window and use both mirrors while backing, he said you will be able to see more and be a lot safer, it took a while to get used to it but he was totally right. I think the new Tesla semi would be easier backing from the middle of the cab than the from left.

[@alanmay7929]

@@jmwarden1 lol…….

[@garymckee7739]

I work for a company that has 100 trucks. Most daily routes are less than 400 miles so the Tesla has potential

[@mrspeigle1]

Definitely the truck has potential for short haul. Though I'm curious about your company's utilization numbers? Is it slip seat driving or drive for the day and done.

[@AmauryJacquot]

@@mrspeigle1 trucks for long haul is kinda dumb anyways, trains are more appropriate for that.

[@Peter-nj5mv]

Oke 400 Miles would be enough for a route, but then the semi has to charge whole night to be ready for the next day. So you would need at least 100kw chargers to have it charge within 10 hours. If you have 100 trucks charging you’d be consuming 10.000kwh every night. No way that the grid is ready for that.

[@AmauryJacquot]

@@Peter-nj5mv they have 1MW chargers. You fill the truck in less than 1 hour, which is the legal required pause time (I believe is 45mn or so)

[@Peter-nj5mv]

@@AmauryJacquot but where would those be? If they are along the road - how many will they place? If they start using those semis the limited range will likely mean these chargers will be used very frequently - creating lines and long wait times. Also 1mW is amazing but we haven’t seen it yet, also don’t forget the huuuuge strain this would put on the grid. Oke maybe the roll out of Tesla semis is slow enough for all infrastructure to catch up.

[@kaasman78]

For winter range, remember that Semi's can start with a warm battery after a full charge. That heat will be used by the HVAC system most likely, like the other new Teslas. Also, the pack is probably around 4-5 tons, so that much 'metal' at a higher temp is a very large reserve of 'heat' to use for the cabin. With the ratio of energy needed for movement compared to heating the cabin being so different compared to a normal car, I suspect the winter range will have a smaller hit in the range with the Semi compared to the cars. Also, using the top 10% of the battery could be no problem. Longevity is dependent on the chemistry used and the quality of the BMS. Using around 1.7 kWh per mile for electric versus around 5kWh per mile for diesel, there's a 3 to 1 efficiency advantage to the Semi. However, due to the unassailable difference in energy density between batteries and diesel, on very long trips being able to carry the most energy stored, is the winning factor. In the end, that difference is moot when you dont have to wait (to often) on your EV while doing other things, like bathroom breaks, mandatory down time, eating dinner or even doing some paperwork during the day. As long as that extra time is offset by the advantages of the electric semi. I missed maintenance in your video. A diesel truck does need regular maintenance on the engine, the Tesla Semi shouldn't need that. HVAC, suspension stuff is always needed. Then again...brakes would last way longer on the Semi than on a diesel truck.

[@user-xo2iw6lz2n]

"Also, using the top 10% of the battery could be no problem. Longevity is dependent on the chemistry used and the quality of the BMS. [...] A diesel truck does need regular maintenance on the engine, the Tesla Semi shouldn't need that. HVAC, suspension stuff is always needed. Then again...brakes would last way longer on the Semi than on a diesel truck." tell me you're a brainless hypeclown who's got no idea wtf they're talking about without telling me you're a brainless hypeclown who's got no idea wtf they're talking about. 😬👌 that battery segment was especially painful.

[@egondro9157]

Where do you figure brakes would be so much different? They would be the same. Many states make it illegal to brake with the engine so if you think loading the motors to slow down in Tesla truck is fine. You might find state regulators going up in arms. Additionally they have to have brakes for safety reasons. So for something like brakes and fluids. Yeah a few more fluids and filters for a truck but I’m not thinking a whole lot of difference on frequent maintenance. You got to remember the technology put into trucks is focus on reliance unlike feature rich in consumer vehicles. The truck moving is what makes them money. Drivers absolutely don’t want their trucks in a shop. Don’t think like your car when it comes to services. Trucks run alot further between services and Tesla will have some of those as well. I think you see less in Tesla over a five year period. I don’t think you’ll see the trucks run nearly as long as the diesel trucks though. This will be more towards the o/o’s that do hauls and want to get the most miles out of a truck before it becomes a maintenance queen. You think in the 100,000s in cars. In the trucking industry it’s in the millions.

[@johnhanson6039]

Great video, Tesla should take this kind of comments to heart. I actually think they are well aware of the limitations, and initial targets are the short to medium-haul use cases, as opposed to true long-haul.

[@DRVRLES]

Good video! Keep in mind Elon mentioned 80% of semi is 250 miles or less so long range is not the market at all currently for the Tesla Semi. Backing up can be solved with a software update. Just like in 2017 semi has 1 driver in a #1 semi and 2 other semis in "CONVOY" with AI. 1 driver and 3 Tesla semis. Elon also mentioned installing charging stations at the loading docks so it would be charged while being unloaded/loading.with just this Tesla has more market and demand than they can possible produced. These are just a few points out of many more. The Tesla goal to have AI drive with no humans. Thanks for your videos!

[@danharold3087]

Walmart has talked about charging while at the loading dock.

[@joeo2195]

@@danharold3087 Walmart got burned, literally & figuratively, by rooftop solar units from Tesla, but that's what needs to happen to enable this technology. But they are going to be more mindful of their provider's solution going forward.

[@ppsmall69420]

Yeah because elon has a history of not overpromising and keeping his word 😂

[@joeo2195]

@@ppsmall69420 How can you say that about a man that had his child die in his arms? Oh wait, right, that was a lie: the child died in his wife's arms. Never mind.

[@DefStr8up]

It's pretty understood that the Tesla semi isn't a good fit for the Long Haul use case. So Thanks Luke, but ...

[@bsd2000au2000]

As I say. the economics in total need to be considered. When that is done...they are a long-haul proposition

[@bobwallace9753]

Drive 350, charge 350 during a required 30 minute break. Rinse and repeat coast to coast. No lost time for charging. Fueling can't be legally done during driver breaks.

[@stevetdean1966]

@@bobwallace9753 Stick to whatever it is you do, because trucking ain't it. You absolutely can fuel during your break. You can dance on the top of your trailer, you can go fill a sock, you can reply to an ignorant KZbin comment. If the truck isn't moving for 30 minutes in a row, your 30 minute break has been fulfilled. But please, counselor, tell me more.

[@bobwallace9753]

@@stevetdean1966 What I do is try to learn as much as I can and then reason based on the facts I have available. My understanding is that since drivers are required to stay close to the pump while filling that is not legally break time. And many times there will be other trucks waiting to fuel so you can't just leave your rig blocking the pump for 30 minutes so you are not going to legally take the required break. I am interested in the legal requirements. Not what some drivers get away with. Am I wrong? Do you have a link to DOT regs stating that during a required break the driver can fuel up and move their rig around?

[@stevetdean1966]

@@bobwallace9753 The legal requirements are 30 minutes of no driving.

[@why6212]

I can't wait for Tesla bots to jump off a Tesla Semi and tell me "YoU aRe ExPeRienCiNg a cAr aCcIdeNt" as they punch through my windshield to grab the steering wheel.

[@goodxrvn2053]

Thank you for the videos. Many have missed an important fact of the design of the Tesla semi. It is a very spacious Day Cab design. Typically, teh Day Cab Class 8 is not meant for OTR but rather regional delivers. The Tesla Class 8 truck, as your guest Luke explained, is perfect for its intended role as a Regional Truck. Daily mileage by regional Class 8 trucks are probably max out at 250-300 mile per day range ending at a terminal. A Terminal or Distribution Center will most likely have a dedicated charging infrastructure. Those drivers that use a Day Cab are typically paid by salary not miles.

[@subwarpspeed]

I also felt this was missing, didn't he pay attention and highlight this to Luke? Tesla is a daycab - otr and especially team drivers are out of the question. Tesla isn't addressing that market. And they don't have to for several years since they can have their hands full building for regional. The competition is behind them. I think and hope they won't dive into the deep end of the pool and add a sleeper cab in a year or so. They could strategically grow and plan for megachargers along routes and not just where the fleet owners need them.

[@cmbakerxx]

And the MW chargers are not needed with this operation either. Much better to have a 150kw charger that operates off hours using the best electric rates. Less labor cost (plug in and leave for the day vs waiting for a quick charge) and lower energy costs.

[@maxpelletier2237]

I can think of a workaround with some logistics for longer haul, while keeping cost of operation low: Switching semi at predetermined waypoints. The truck stops at some company owned waypoint, where another semi is waiting, all charged up and ready. The driver pins the trailer to the other semi, plug his first one in, and go back on his way.

[@omnicurious2949]

ICE Semi's take 15-20 minutes to fill the tanks. 30 minutes to add 350 miles of charge is really not an issue at all!!

[@marklefler4007]

I would think they would charge while unloading the trailer, which takes 30-60 minutes. Of course if the Semi is unhooked and gets another trailer there would be less time. I would also think they would charge while getting breakfast, lunch or dinner.

[@Wirmish]

Exactly. First the Semi will be for private fleets with specific routes.

[@Species-lj8wh]

Where? Shippers already pitch a fit if you ask to use there restroom. You think they are gonna let us use there power?

[@joeo2195]

They would need power stations at the loading docks.

[@kiae-nirodiariesencore4270]

Thanks for a great video, Luke’s professional opinions on the Tesla HGV (what we call a Semi in the UK) is interesting, though I think it would be good to put these into context. From what I have read about trucking in the USA, 85% of all semi loads are part loads, not using the full 40 ton hauling capacity of the vehicle. The other thing I question is what the laws are in the USA for truck driving. There seems to be this ’14 hour rule’. allowing US truck drivers to drive 11 hours within a 14 hour period....which seems crazy for us in Europe where a driver must take rest every 4.5 hours. A driver will need to rest, water and feed himself and it would be damn dangerous to him/her self and other road users to do more than 4 or 5 hours in the seat without a break. Even if that break is only for 15 or 20 minutes, the truck could be plugged in and get a top-up. Given an average speed of between 50 and 60 mph, covering 700 miles in a day must therefore involve more than 14 hours given that Luke will have had taken time to do what all human beings have to do several times a day. My research shows that the typical maximum distance covered by a trucker in the USA is between 500 and 600 miles, the very long haul - NY to LA Luke talks about is a small percentage of total trucking miles covered. Lisbon to Helsinki (All within the EU) is the same distance as NY to LA but I doubt that journey is done very often...more likely loads would be shifted out of Finland by rail as far as Madrid in Spain before a road truck gets involved. My sense is that even without improvements in technology the Tesla Semi can satisfy most use cases.

[@billedgin2496]

There is a vast difference between how we operate in the US vs how it's done in Europe. Let me give a short resume. I've been driving over 25 years and have driven well over 3 million miles. I've seen many different aspects of the industry. A lot has changed since I started, and much of it has not been for the better. I owned a hybrid car and am very pro technology. I don't own an electric car simply because it won't work for my situation. On the rare occasions I use my car, I take road trips where there are zero electric chargers. (I've looked. Montana is not electric car friendly.) In the US, trucks go much faster than 50-60 MPH. There are many states where trucks are allowed to go 80 MPH. Companies that govern their trucks tend to set them to a limit of 65-72 MPH depending on the company. The vast majority of drivers will spend as much time as possible running at the truck's top speed. The company I drive for governs their trucks between 62&65. We do a large amount of freight between Seattle and Los Angeles. That's roughly a 1200 mile run. It's essentially expected to be done in under 48 hours. That is entirely normal for west coast freight. At least 2-3 times per week I run over 600 miles in a day. I have a 2020 Peterbilt that I've had since it was brand new. It now has 463,000 miles on it. I don't run extreme. These days, I'm much more in the average than ever before. As for US driving laws, they're quite complicated until you see them in action. We're required to stop for 30 minutes within the first 8 hours of driving. Drivers have found many ways to get creative with that. Before that law was added, most drivers would run to the maximum as fast as they could. They still do, but that break created a wrinkle. Drivers use loading and unloading time as a 30 minute break. Hooking and unhooking trailers can be used. Most trucks can be moved during that break up to 4 MPH, unless you use yard move or off duty personal conveyance. (More confusion, I know. I did say you pretty much have to see it in action.) We can drive up to 11 hours before having to take a 10 hour break. That 11 hours must be done within 14 hours of the beginning of your shift. Unless you use the split sleeper berth exception, which allows you to extend that 14 hours. Using the split sleeper berth exception also allows you to reduce the 10 hour break to as little as 7 hours, provided the break used to extend the 14 hour rule adds up to a total of 10 hours or more. The combined driving time on either side of either break can't add up to more than 11 hours and the total on duty time with driving included can't exceed 14 hours. We're limited to 70 hours per 8 days of total on duty time. Just for fun, you can add in a bunch of exemptions that exist which throw all those numbers out the window. (The company I'm with doesn't use any of those exemptions.) The 70 hour clock is reset with 34 consecutive hours off duty. 2500-4000 miles per week is VERY typical for an over the road truck in the US. The best I've done in my truck, which is governed at 65 MPH, was just shy of 4200 miles in just under 7 days. (I think it was like 4183 or something like that before I stopped for a 34 hour break.)

[@cbromley562]

You do good thorough research, and here, Luke makes some fair comments but he’s right when he says hands-on experience is necessary for decisive verdict. I’d like to give my thoughts as a British lorry driver, (I started driving in ‘73 and began driving HGV1 in ‘81. I relinquished my HGV licence at 66. Although many trucks were still crash gear, non-servo brakes and steering when I started, the job is pretty much the same, but with stricter deadlines, gps tracking and greater stress by all accounts). Regarding the different fuelling characteristics, response to weather conditions and suitability to real-world transportation, do not underestimate the resourcefulness of drivers/transport/logistics staff, and their abilities to quickly respond to any changes. For example, as soon as the tachograph was introduced in the UK, the ‘community’ was buzzing with hacks to overcome it. Eventually (and quickly in the scheme of things) it was accepted. Routes were tweaked where necessary and drivers deployed in (generally) more productive manner to suit the constraints. The same will go for the Tesla Semi…immediately, if my experience is still relevant today. As you say, the running costs and value to the company will drive these adaptions. So, I’m confident that ‘value’ and driver comfort/enjoyment will be the impetus to push charging infrastructure and logistical organisation and planning, and anything else. The issue of reversing and manoeuvring in tight quarters won’t be an issue. A few minutes/hours practicing in the yard will see to that. We as a family, drive Teslas and the camera view is 360…it’s just a matter of getting used to it. The Semi has two screens for gawd’s sake. The same in our experience for autopilot. Even in our highly congested British roads/motorways, autopilot is relaxing. Like anything, you have to adapt. Our son was initially suspicious of it, but now confesses to not being able to travel distance without it. Basically, regardless of what the vehicle is capable of, the driver is always in charge. The number of unnecessary accidents caused by not accepting this is astounding. As trucks are often running at under maximum capacity, ranges will vary quite markedly, as with temperature and terrain. I would love to put the Semi through its paces over and around the Pennines, Scottish highlands etc. To me, knowing from experience how different conditions effect Teslas/electric vehicles, I feel that the potential of the Semi will be exploited to its utter limit…and of course it will improve over time as technology moves on and feedback floods in to Tesla. The stats are impressive, resulting in an incredibly promising vehicle, which unfortunately, I’m never likely to get to experience. Bugger.

[@Scott-sm9nm]

Some existing truckers are saying on various entries and yards that you today need to lean out the drivers window to use an entry card or keypad and that the center seat makes that harder. I suspect that tech will overcome that like many communities have "QR" type of codes on the sides of the vehicles so the gates recognize the car.

[@bobwallace9753]

It's one step from the seat to the window. And many toll booths are already 'drive through' no stopping. Gates can be similarly automated. At worst use a phone to key in. Single button push as you get near.

[@jack0dds11]

Assuming the charging can be done unattended, the 30-40 minutes needed to charge would allow the driver to eat, use the bathroom, or get some exercise . Most truck drivers I see are badly in need of physical activity for their health. A 20-30 minute walk every 5-6 hours is just what a doctor would recommend.

[@TheNuclearBolton]

If they wanted to exercise, they’d find time regardless.

[@user-to2rf1rj5v]

Yep, no charging supervision is needed.

[@Olson2BW]

I don't know how my wording will read to you but I mean it in a nice way. I'm just letting you know what I've experienced and witnessed and what my wife and I do. I have a Tesla Model Y (midsize fully electric SUV). You stop at a Tesla Super Charger and you plug in the car and then you leave to do whatever and it actually texts you when it is done. It also tells you on the screen how long it thinks it will take to charge your vehicle. The Tesla Semi surely does this too. I can't imagine that it wouldn't. When on trips our Tesla Model Y we can drive for 4.6 hours @ 65 mph on a full charge, which is what we start out with from home. That's actually a conservative figure at an even 300 miles. A full charge depends on the seasons and my lead foot. But 300 isn't far off. It is rare that we don't stop to eat or go to the bathroom before those 4.6 hours are up. When we need to stop for either, we look for Tesla Super Chargers in the area. If we are hungry we will look at either fast or "slow" food in the area so that my wife can decide what kind of food she wants to eat (we don't have children - with children stops would be longer giving us more time to charge up) and we will either call in our order and pick it up or go through a drive thru (fast food) before going to the Tesla Super Charger where we plug in and then eat and then 99% of the time there is a business with a convenient bathroom either next door or across the street. It is rare that my wife and I (your bathrooms will vary) can't find a convenient bathroom very near a Tesla Super Charger. By the time we are done eating and go to the bathroom and get back it almost always takes us half an hour. About fifteen minutes to eat and about ten to fifteen minutes to use the bathroom. For people that say that they go to the bathroom faster than that. Think about --getting there, doing your business, cleaning up including hopefully washing your hands, and getting back ... still less than 15 minutes ON AVERAGE. During a 15 period a Tesla that is low on charge will charge at about 200 miles per 15 miles. At 30 minutes it would be about 250-260 miles (it charges slower the more it fills up on charge so that it doesn't burn out the batteries - same as your cell phone). At 200 miles of charge you could drive 3.07 hours @ 65 mph. I've never gotten 3.07 hours of driving without slow downs. The slower you go the longer the range you get). At 250 miles of range that makes 3.84 hours of driving @ 65 mph. With a full charge and one stop that makes at LEAST ... 4.61 hours + 3.07 hours = 7.68 hours of driving @ 65 miles per hour. And that's only when stopping for lunch and no bathroom breaks, no dinner break. I think I could add at least another 2 hours at the very minimum which would be over 9 ½ hours of driving at 65 mph if not over 10 hours. And at the end of the day, we stop at a Tesla Super Charger and take a nap while the car charges up all the way. That usually takes about 45 minutes for a full charge. Yes, not as quick as filling up with gas or diesel. But there are hotels (more of them every day) that have some kind of electric charging station where you can plug-in. My wife doesn't seem to have a problem finding ones with Tesla Wall Chargers like we have in our garage. At hotels I usually charge it for half an hour (I set a timer on my cell phone) and then about an hour before I go to bed I go back out and plug my car into the Tesla Wall Charger at the hotel again and it texts me when it starts charging and when it stops charging. Hotels usually don't charge extra for having the Tesla Wall Chargers but they aren't Motel 6s either. But either way we would stay at a moderately priced hotel and not a Motel 6 no matter what. And the hotels my wife finds that she wants to stay at, almost always have a Tesla Wall Charger or five. She doesn't even search for "hotels" and "Tesla". But she does verify that it does have a Tesla Charger at the hotel and we've never been charged for using them since they cost less than $5 for us to fill up. That's their cost and it might be less than that. Anyway, I hope you understand what I'm trying to say.

[@machinist7230]

Thats thirty minutes they're not earning money.

[@Olson2BW]

@@machinist7230 No, but the driver would have a chance to rest after driving for 400-500 miles. During the time they are resting and/or eating they could plug in and charge up the truck and then be ready for at least another 400 miles (the first 80% of electric vehicles charges really fast, the last 20% takes a lot longer).

[@kkitzhaber]

Good presentation.

[@rainerbuechse6923]

Great analysis, thank you

[@johnsutphin1152]

Good points made but also the savings to a company are so much that there are work arounds to pay and scheduling the drivers time that I compare it to paper logs and e logs most drivers hated the e log but eventually the industry worked with them and you don't hear much grumbling. Come to think of it like companys paying for lumpers to unload freight instead of the driver that in comparison any extra stops during the drive could be easily reimbursed to the driver theres a lot of extra money on the table if your not paying the diesal fuel and breakdown costs. I'm giving it to the tesla semi with those negotiations and in time the infrastructure will manifest a different driver culture. All the utility hook ups you see at truck stops in zero idle states is a perfect example

[@AndyZach]

My father was a truck driver for 40 years and he told me about backing into a narrow alley where he had to fold his mirrors back in order to fit. As far as backing issues are concerned, I assume it'll be by camera not mirror. My car backs up with a tracking path on the screen as you back up. I expect much more from Tesla, down to the absolute distance to the rear dock. That would also be something that could be automated, with a manual override. Regarding range and recharging, I believe regulations require a driver break every 8-10 hours, which is when the battery would be recharged. The EV truck seems suboptimal for long-haul trucking, but the fuel and maintenance savings may compensate for it. I assume there'll be battery improvements of 10% per year. That means: 2023 - 500 2024 -550 2025 - 675 2026 740 2027 810 etc. This is a conservative estimate. Liked your video, it's the first I've seen. Subscribed.

[@bobwallace9753]

Drive 350, charge 350 in 30 minutes during required breaks. Rinse and repeat. A team of drivers should be able to travel coast to coast in about 2 days with charging during required drive breaks.

[@steveschritz1823]

Hours of Service: - Max 8 hours driving before required to take a 30 minutes break - Max 11 hrs driving per shift - Max window of 14 hours - 10 hours off-duty to reset your shift

[@belgarion0013]

Great video as usual! It's good that you bring up that there is a difference between KZbinrs and reality. Also that you show the pros and cons of the various options that are out there. As many have already mentioned, I think there will be an adjustment to the driver's position and rethinking when charging the truck. You have to plan a lot more with an EV. But here I think industries and larger companies which have warehouses have an advantage. They can charge during loading and unloading time. If you build solar cells or small wind power on the roofs or even geothermal heat from the ground. But I have to ask: What is this about sticking your head out to be able to back up? I've never done it myself, heard of someone doing it or seen someone do it, at least in her Sweden, is it something you do in the US a lot? It's almost the same as I se people turn around in a regular car to back up(so do people here as well), just so illogical and impractical(almost stupid), that's why we have the mirrors. (Then I am a fan of watching Ice road truckers, Gold rush: Alaska and Big rig)

[@doughudgens9275]

When you back a truck to a dock, the truck is at a 45 degree angle to the trailer. You look out the window for the key points needed to make your next steering input because all you see in the mirrors are the side of the trailer. If you’re lucky, you can set up for a straight line back, but that takes lots of space. Normally, you have to see when a part of the trailer gets to the right spot, then you turn the steering wheel. I’m not sure a side camera will work, especially if it is a fisheye lens, to give you the details you need. When you do a blind side back, you are bent towards the passenger side and cannot see details with you mirrors ( you are looking at 1/2” circle 9’ away-1cm 2 meters). So you have to stop, park, get out of your seat to look, sit down again, move the steering wheel, back up as far as you dare, stop and do it all over again. I’m afraid a center driving position is essentially the same thing regardless of which side you back. I’ve been driving semi’s for over a dozen years, and I agree with Luke.

[@esialdor]

@Doug Hudgens Tesla semis windows don't open, and they don't have a door to open to look out either. I feel like it's blindside backing either way, but u have to also have to GOAL every time instead of just having a peek out the right window. I'm an o/o of 11 years

[@longnamenocansayy]

from what i see on youtube russian truck drivers are the best. they're also the craziest, as would be expected. i've also seen canadian drivers. i think they're better than american drivers. the bad thing about american drivers is that probably most of the otr american drivers have only 1 year experience maybe 2 years. some truck driving jobs pay good. most don't.

[@arthurwagar88]

A lot of interesting stuff. Thanks.

[@tacoyaky8872]

The slip seat operation thing shouldn't be that much of a problem. You don't have to hand over keys to another driver as the truck can accept either phone or multiple cheap key cards. Instead of handing the truck over to the next driver, the next driver can show up 40 minutes later at the charger and start with a full charge.

[@alanmay7929]

Wrong!!!! They can run the truck 24/7 if the can no sleep time! That’s why team trucking is sooooo fast.

[@brucec954]

Good video. Seems like I see a lot of arguments about how EV trucks can't cover all use cases so they are no good. At 0% of the market, if they can only do 25% of the market thats still huge. By the time that many trucks have been built, batteries will have improved so then could do 50% of the market etc. There no doubt they will help reduce pollution in Port and Metro areas where it is a real problem and where Diesels get very bad milage in stop and go traffic.

[@bobwallace9753]

A rig with 500 miles of range, 350 usable with 30 minute charing, can drive coast to coast in about two days with a team of drivers. And save tens of thousands of dollars annually over diesel rigs.

[@springhillfitness6837]

@@bobwallace9753 yes, that's like a 10:1 ratio of driving time to charging time, so the time lost is pretty small as long as the chargers are conveniently located.

[@bobwallace9753]

@@springhillfitness6837 There's not necessarily any driving time lost. DoT regs permit drivers to be 'on duty' eleven out of every 24 hour cycle. During that 11 hours drivers are required to take a half hour break. Just take the break about halfway through the 11 hours, plug in before the break, unplug after the break. Charge during the 13 hours that the driver is off duty. Filling up fuel tanks counts as on duty time. So while the driver is pumping fuel is lost driving time. Tesla will build out the charging stations. That's what they've done for cars.

[@Hat6000]

As a former long haul truck driver this is the best review of the Tesla semi-truck I've seen. Luke's comment was very on point and comprehensive. What he said about the truck being home for the driver is really on target, cab heating in winter is a problem as this is a heavy drain on batteries, probably some kind of auxiliary heater system would be necessary. In the future more efficient solar panels on the trailer top might add quite a bit of mileage. There is also quite a bit of regular maintenance that is needed with a diesel rig, oil and air filter changes, fluid level checks, belts and hoses, auxiliary units, (hydraulic and water pumps, alternators) that require time and expense which would not be needed with the electric

[@JohnLovesSpain]

Thank you Jon, yet another relevant and informative video. I'm not a truck driver and I'm just wondering whether truckers will put any value on how much cleaner electricity is than diesel. Will this battery trucks improve their overall working environment or is it just all about $ and time on the road. Probably is. I think maybe fleet managers rather than self employed single truck owners will be the ones that will be the early adopters. Questions asked with full acknowledgement that i know zero about being a trucker, who I too have the greatest respect for.

[@cherokee180c0]

Great content as always Jon. I really appreciate your depth covered in all your videos. I really think it is much more likely that Tesla gets the Semi approved for use in its own fleet in autonomous follow mode of operation. Initially this would be in a 2 truck configuration and then eventually in 3 truck convoy. This alone would have a massive impact at solving the drive shortage issue, which is currently over 80K drivers short in the US alone. The is would give the regulators time to collect massive data on the truck performance before moving into full autonomous mode. I also think Autonomous cars will need to be fully operating for probably as long as 5 years before the government would make the next move to approve fully autonomous trucks.

[@omnicurious2949]

This video is easily the dumbest and the worst video on this channel! Almost everything said is erroneous! It's become fashionable to channel a 'trucker's voice'....but most are luddites who really don't understand how an Electric vehicle works and give out nonsensical reviews! - Most important error I wish to point out is the 'winter range'. EVs lose most of their energy in winters due to heating the passenger cabin....and loses ~20% of range. But the energy required to heat a Model 3/S/Y/X is almost same as the energy required to heat the Semi cabin WHILE SEMI CARRIES 10 TIMES LARGER BATTERY. So, the net-loss of Semi range in winters is a mere 2%-3% and not 20%! - Comparing charging times to fuel-filling times is nonsensical! And saying that a truck driver will drive ALL DAY is utter BS! By law the drivers have to stop and rest after every ~4 hours! It should be possible (when freeway megachargers are in place) to coincide rest-time with charge-time. AT THIS TIME Tesla Semis are not good for coast-to-coast trucking bcos the freeway Megachargers are not in place....but should be in place in 1 to 2 years. No need to wait for 'instant charging' to match refueling times! - Also, the truck-driver (who's paid on hourly basis) DOES NOT determine what kind of truck he/she will ride! It's the FLEET OPERATOR who does! Electric Semis will save the Fleet Operator 10s of thousands of $$ every year (with savings in fuel costs and maintenance). It's small potatoes if the driver needs to be paid for an extra 30 minutes (in case the rest-stop and charge-stop don't coincide).

[@WoodHughes]

For company owned units, it would still be cheaper to pay the driver for the time spent recharging than operating a diesel. For Owner/ Operators, as you pointed out, the operator still has operational savings to offset the extra time on recharge, not to mention once mega chargers become commonplace, the operator can plug it in before going to bed for the night. Also, after they drop their load at the break point, they can drive to get charged then use the auto link up feature I believe Tesla Semi’s have to make that back up operation simpler.

[@danharold3087]

Once drivers get used to the cameras they will have better vision on both side.

[@CiaranMcHale]

Another issue to consider is that because the Tesla Semi can accelerate more quickly than a diesel, and because the Tesla Semi can go uphill at full highway speed (unlike a diesel), the Tesla will reduce travelling time, and the saved travelling time can partially/fully offset the extra time spent charging. At least, that's my assumption (I don't have any experience of trucking).

[@danharold3087]

@@CiaranMcHale It would have to be a very uphill route for that to work and then your using a lot more battery. Like when your driving. You can drive fast and then stop for lunch and everyone you passed goes by.

[@CiaranMcHale]

@@danharold3087 That's a good point, although regenerative braking will alleviate the battery loss somewhat if the route contains some downhill parts too, as you can see from the graph at this timestamped part of the Tesla Semi Event: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqWyoohopJ1kn6s Regarding the quicker acceleration of the Tesla Semi saving time, Elon alluded to this when the Tesla Semi was first announced in 2017, but looking at the video (kzbin.info/www/bejne/a4O1npimpZyca8k), some of the important numbers are missing. An internet search (always reliable and acceptable in a court of law;-) provided the missing numbers so it seems the 0-60 times for an unloaded semi are 5 seconds (Tesla) and 15 seconds (diesel), while the 0-60 times for a fully-loaded semi are 20 seconds (Tesla) and 60 seconds (diesel). I have no idea how often a semi would need to slow down/stop and then accelerate on a typical 500-mile route, so I don't know how much time the Tesla's quicker acceleration will save over an entire route.

[@danharold3087]

​@@CiaranMcHale Chances are that the time you gain putting your foot in it will be taken back at the charger. While it is fun to punch it fast acceleration is harder on the truck and can screw up a pelleted load big time.

[@unomilan]

Super interesting, thank you!

[@mikeconnery4652]

Great video

[@steverobbins4872]

The charging time may be somewhat mitigated by faster driving capability, especially if there are a significant number of inclines on the route because we've seen the Tesla Semi zipping up and down hills.

[@daviddipasquale5479]

This is an excellent point and would like to see a graph comparison of the gain in time traveling compensating for the loss in time charging.

[@BreckThePanther]

LOL no

[@alanmay7929]

Nonsense!!!! A diesel truck absolutely drives significantly way faster and on longer routes than that tesla so lol….

[@alanmay7929]

Uphill or downhill means absolutely nothing! When your average speed is slower then a diesel one. Same with other tesla vehicles.

[@alanmay7929]

The cannonball run is an excellent example of that.

[@richf3654]

In response to the charging time, I would think that it would not be much worse than fueling time for diesel. What people aren't remembering is with charging you hook up the charger and then you are free to do other jobs. But while you are fueling with diesel you have to stay by the pump. I bet if you actually did a timer for how long a fuel stop is on a big rig, it would be longer than just the time where fuel is going into the tanks..

[@bobwallace9753]

@@MH-Tesla Some people break regulations.

[@nooneyouknow7036]

@@MH-Tesla The inconsiderate drivers that you're hearing about have either done fueling or never intended to fuel in the first place. They drive ahead and park in the area just ahead of the pumps. This area is intended for a driver to retrieve his receipt and maybe take a very quick bathroom break and be gone by the time the driver that is actively fueling behind him gets done. Because of the tight parking in many truckstops, some/too many drivers are carelessly abusing this allotted space and staying longer. This backs everything up. When fueling, you are responsible for any fuel spills. You had better be right there!

[@alanmay7929]

Nonsense!!!!! With diesel filling is much faster and you generally make a full tank which means less time for filling and more for other stuffs.

[@bobwallace9753]

@@alanmay7929 Drivers are required to spend time "off duty". Charging can happen during required breaks. Filling tanks is considered on duty time. Now how about considering this. Tesla has said that it should be about $60,000 less per year to drive a T-semi compared to a diesel semi. Assume working five days a week, fifty weeks a year. That works out to $240 per day. Assume a driver might spend a half hour more per day charging. That's some pretty sweet money. A rate of $480/hour. Feel free to redo the math with numbers you think reasonable.

[@alanmay7929]

@@bobwallace9753 $60,000 per year cheaper than diesel? That must be a joke right!? With the actual prices of electricity!? Lol!!!! Save 60,000 while moving how many lbs less than the diesel!?

[@davefroman4700]

Former OTR driver here. The backing issue is a non issue because of the layout of the cab and the way that the side glass extends behind the driver, which increases visibility the rear corners while backing. That extra 2 ft of glass does not exist in a traditional truck and thus you have a huge blindspot. Secondly the wide angle camera views of the Tesla Semi will also be a lot better than the view out of a mirror.

[@aulzhvgfun]

“If wheels aren’t moving, you’re not making money.”. This quote was a big reason why a 30 min stop wouldnt be profitable- i would love to see a chart that included Diesel costs along with stop times. What if, even with a 30 minute stop, the Tesla semi is comparable in oroce because of diesel cost savings, and an easier drive since your 30 minute break may effectively paid for rather than having to drive straight through.

[@KalpeshPatel78]

Do check with Luke about the down-time that a truck goes through during maintenance. Especially brakes and gear boxes. And how would it be comparable (in cost and time) with a Tesla battery replacement.

[@doughudgens9275]

Brake shoes last years if you drive safely. Half a million miles before you think about replacing them. Gear boxes, and transmissions are almost bulletproof. The usual repairs are pollution additions, electrical things, and tires. The basic engine has been perfected, and almost all repairs are sample errors: parts built by humans that fail. Down time for repairs and maintenance are just like a car. You are out quickly if you find a good shop, not so fast if it’s bad. My oil change is every 50,000 miles, so 2-3 times a year.

[@Martinit0]

Jon, this is fantastic! Thank you for reporting "ground truth" from the industry pros, not some fantasy. Having said that, I think the Tesla Semi is fine as is, it was obviously not intended for the longest routes, otherwise it would have a cab with sleeper. Please bring on more professionals from the industry!

[@trungson6604]

Agree. Thank you to Jon for the honest report. The Teala semi is great for local and short range. For long range, there is already the Nikola hydrogen semi.

[@clayengle2940]

In extreme cold and wind factor how will that effect battery performance, at -50 in winter weather. No stopping to help another driver, cause that would be an effect a battery range.

[@paulbedichek5177]

Yeah,it would be fine if it cost less, delivered more,and caught on fire less often, but it doesn't.

[@user-pq4by2rq9y]

I wish to see more plug-in EV rigs, with a fuel cell working as a range extender. While batteries are heavy, hydrogen is light. You can fuel it under 5 minutes and it will keep charging the battery on the road or during a stop. To be fair, hydrogen is a pain to work with but I think it is worth it if we can use pipes instead of liquid hydrogen to resupply the pump. Still a insane fire hazard, don't get me wrong, but it does makes sense from the sustainability perspective.

[@wolfsquared]

Freight liner trucks have Adaptive cruise control that can not only adjust to traffic in front, but can fully stop truck in traffic jams and move again without driver input.

[@ViaConDias]

In regards to the charging times. Many countries have a maximum on how many hours (often 8) a driver is allowed to drive in between long 8 - 12 hour breaks. The drive time starts when the truck starts moving and runs continuously from that point on and any and all breaks during that time are also counted as drive time.