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First Tesla Semi Rolls Off High-Volume Production Line

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Re: First Tesla Semi Rolls Off High-Volume Production Line

#21
post #18
post #9

A 30 minute charge means each charger can service a maximum of 48 tractors per day, and realistically probably less than that. I wonder how many trucks fill at a typical diesel filling station per day.

Have you seen the demo's of "truck pack" batteries being removed from prime mover, transferred to charge station, replaced with already charged truck pack, all done with a mini fork lift? It's a 15 minute roll in / roll out kind of turn around. The game's not over and the big transport operators (eg: Rio Tinto mine fleets moving a billion tonne per annum, etc) are still doing the R&D pipeline and trialling pilots.

This has been tried before for public use and failed for all of the obvious reasons.

It should get adoption from companies big enough to run their own fleets (such as the mining company mentioned) but it won't be a suitable method for a good percentage of the long haul trucks in the States.

With that said, I would think chargers should be fine for a lot of those trucks if the infrastructure builds out for them. The drivers are already taking breaks every few hours by regulation, so they can top off rather than going from empty to full.

Re: First Tesla Semi Rolls Off High-Volume Production Line

#22
post #13
post #9

A 30 minute charge means each charger can service a maximum of 48 tractors per day, and realistically probably less than that. I wonder how many trucks fill at a typical diesel filling station per day.

My first job was pumping gas at regular neighbour gas station and one day a semi rolled in because he was low on gas. He insisted that we use both diesel pumps on the pump so that it would take faster and it still took forever. I can't remember if he filled both side of his truck but if he did that would have required him to go around the island to get the other side tank. I've only been to a cardlock station a few t…

stats vary. seems ~250 is common (2x 125 gals) and long haul ranges up to 2,000 miles.

Though another way to think of filling up is miles per minute. At 10Gal/Min and 7MPG that's pumping 70 miles a minute into the tank.

an 80% charge in 30 minutes on a 500 mile range battery is ~13 Miles a minute so roughly 5x slower

Re: First Tesla Semi Rolls Off High-Volume Production Line

#23
post #13
post #9

A 30 minute charge means each charger can service a maximum of 48 tractors per day, and realistically probably less than that. I wonder how many trucks fill at a typical diesel filling station per day.

My first job was pumping gas at regular neighbour gas station and one day a semi rolled in because he was low on gas. He insisted that we use both diesel pumps on the pump so that it would take faster and it still took forever. I can't remember if he filled both side of his truck but if he did that would have required him to go around the island to get the other side tank. I've only been to a cardlock station a few t…

Truck stop pumps can do 30 GPM "on both sides" as they have two pumps connected to one bay.

There are faster (600 GPM or more) but those are specialized for loading boats, etc; the air can't escape the tank fast enough to use those on a truck.

Re: First Tesla Semi Rolls Off High-Volume Production Line

#24
post #13
post #9

A 30 minute charge means each charger can service a maximum of 48 tractors per day, and realistically probably less than that. I wonder how many trucks fill at a typical diesel filling station per day.

My first job was pumping gas at regular neighbour gas station and one day a semi rolled in because he was low on gas. He insisted that we use both diesel pumps on the pump so that it would take faster and it still took forever. I can't remember if he filled both side of his truck but if he did that would have required him to go around the island to get the other side tank. I've only been to a cardlock station a few t…

I don't know about exact rates, but diesel pumps in banks intended for semis have a larger diameter nozzle that flows faster than the normal sized ones, yeah. They won't fit diesel cars/vans/light trucks.

Re: First Tesla Semi Rolls Off High-Volume Production Line

#25

50,000 vehicles per year capacity is a lot. Is there really demand for so many vehicles?.

>> This makes the Tesla Semi the lowest-priced Class 8 battery electric tractor on the market,

How much is the difference?. Critical details left out.

>> specs confirm a 500-mile range

Aren't there trucks with this range already?

>> "Tesla Semi as a Service" model is needed to eliminate the capital expenditure barrier entirely,

Good but how is this novel?

Re: First Tesla Semi Rolls Off High-Volume Production Line

#26
post #8
post #6

Nice. Tesla claims they will "ramp up" production to 50,000 units per year. When does the 100th unit roll off the line? Let's see some actuals. Tesla's volume and delivery time estimates do not have a good history of reliability. Volvo has 5,000 electric semitrucks on the road right now. Tesla also announced that MDB Drayage is using Tesla tractors to haul container chassis around the Port of Los Angeles.[1] But the…

The Tesla semi is the only truck with a 500 mile range. So it does have an advantage over other electric trucks for long-haul trucking.

Tesla has a history of exaggerating the ranges of their vehicles to an extent that competitors do not.

Re: First Tesla Semi Rolls Off High-Volume Production Line

#27
post #26
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Tesla semi is the only truck with a 500 mile range. So it does have an advantage over other electric trucks for long-haul trucking.

Tesla has a history of exaggerating the ranges of their vehicles to an extent that competitors do not.

Trucking seems like an industry where exaggerating the range will lead to contracts being cancelled and companies being sued. I'm assuming that a Tesla Semi can't just stop off at the nearest Supercharger.

Re: First Tesla Semi Rolls Off High-Volume Production Line

#28
post #27
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tesla has a history of exaggerating the ranges of their vehicles to an extent that competitors do not.

Trucking seems like an industry where exaggerating the range will lead to contracts being cancelled and companies being sued. I'm assuming that a Tesla Semi can't just stop off at the nearest Supercharger.

I've read that Semis need to use a "MegaCharger" ...

Re: First Tesla Semi Rolls Off High-Volume Production Line

#29
post #9

A 30 minute charge means each charger can service a maximum of 48 tractors per day, and realistically probably less than that. I wonder how many trucks fill at a typical diesel filling station per day.

Could they automate the "grab the charging cable and plug it in" part (as well as the "take the cable out and stow it away" part)? Trucks would then be able to just pull in, charge up and pull out quickly.
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