Trucks: Tesla Semi pulls ahead as start-up rivals crash

Tesla’s recent delivery to Pepsi could start something bigger than gossip among truckers at favoured roadside diners. The electric semi-trailer trucks could eventually eclipse electric passenger vehicles in impact. With a claimed 500-mile range and the ability to carry up to 82,000lb, the long-haul vehicles promise to bring transformational reductions in greenhouse gases.

Trucks account for about 30 per cent of carbon emissions from global transport, according to the International Energy Agency. ENGS Commercial Finance estimates that initial prices for electric trucks will be twice that of low-end diesel equivalents. Companies with carbon reduction targets to meet are willing to pay. UPS and Walmart have put in orders of their own for Tesla’s Semi.

Efficiency lowers costs. Tesla boss Elon Musk says the Semi’s efficiency is 1.7kWh per mile. If the truck can go for 500 miles without recharging, this means the battery is at least 850kWh. It could be about 1,000kWh.

Costs will vary according to charging times. Truck owners will pay more if they want their vehicles back on the road quickly. Tesla’s self-driving software could one day remove drivers, further cutting costs.

Details on the Semi’s price and weight have not been disclosed. Both are needed to understand its potential. A substantial charging network is also required.

Tesla was supposed to deliver the Semi in 2019. Since then, competitors have moved forward. Unilever added a Volvo EV truck to its fleet with 540 kWh of battery capacity this year.

But the wave of competition from start-ups is easing. Electric truckmaker Nikola suffered an inglorious fall from grace. With the blank cheque boom over, many others appear to be careening off the road. TuSimple and Embark set ambitious targets for autonomous driving technology while burning through cash. Shares are down between 94 and 97 per cent this year.

Musk’s trucks may be remembered long after his controversial takeover of Twitter has been forgotten.