Is This The Future of Trucking?

Elon Musk is no stranger to groundbreaking innovations. Through companies like PayPal, Tesla, and Space X, the entrepreneur has aimed to revolutionize the payment, automotive, and space travel industries, respectively. And he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Recently Musk announced that Tesla has its sights set on trucking.

In a conference held close to Space X’s headquarters, Musk unveiled the new Tesla Semi, an all-electric truck. If it looks radically different than a standard semi-trailer truck, it’s because it is. It has no big motor, no transmission, and its cabin seems like it was made for a spaceship.

Instead of stopping for diesel, the Semis are meant to be charged at “Megacharger” stations to be installed where trucks unload cargo. These stations are designed to provide a range of 400 miles with just a 30-minute charge. Its battery system is built into the truck’s chassis and, as there’s no need for a traditional motor that takes up so much space, the cabin was reinvented with safety and ergonomics as top priorities. For example the driver seats dead-center inside the cabin to maximize visibility and comfort.

The Semi prototype also presents some interesting innovations in the automated driving category. Certainly with long-haul drivers in mind, it features an Autopilot mode with capabilities for emergency braking, as well as automatic steering and lane keeping.

But definitely one of the most attention grabbing specs is the Semi’s acceleration capacity of 0–60 in merely 5 seconds (with an empty trailer), quite faster than the average diesel truck.

At Quickload innovation in trucking is the name of our game, so news like this get us very excited. Even though trucks like the Tesla Semi aren’t expected to hit the market until well into 2019, the announcement was yet another reminder that the possibilities for innovation and more efficiency in the trucking industry are indeed endless. Who knows, maybe a Tesla Semi will deliver a Quickload shipment a couple of years from now!

Content Creator: Pablo Torres