EVwire brief: Volvo and Daimler aren't worried about the Tesla Semi, and they’d really like you to know that.
Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America, was unequivocal when asked whether the Tesla Semi poses a threat to his business.
“I don't think it's disruptive.”
John O'Leary, president of Daimler Truck North America, took a similar line, pointing to charging infrastructure as the real barrier to electric trucking.
"Infrastructure continues to be a challenge.”
Both Volvo Trucks and Daimler Truck have maintained that they are committed to reducing emissions, but they have also filed a lawsuit to block California from enforcing clean-air truck standards they agreed to in 2023.
It's a familiar script. Established automakers dismissed Tesla's cars like the Model S and the Model 3 the same way, then spent billions trying to catch up.
The Tesla Semi’s cab is mounted directly to the frame, ilke a unibody passenger car
Context:
Despite the dismissal from the Volvo Trucks and Daimler Truck executives, the Tesla Semi is seeing a lot of demand from customers.
California trucking firms have submitted state subsidy applications for more than 1,200 Tesla Semis, more than all applications for competing electric trucks combined since the program launched in 2019.
The Tesla Semi Long Range is expected to come in near $290,000, well below the $400,000-plus price of electric trucks from legacy truckmakers. The Semi also offers up to 500 miles of range, more than any rival currently on the market.
Volvo Trucks’ VNR Electric heavy-duty truck, for example, has a range of 275 miles.
Early customers say the truck simply works. Jennie Abarca, owner of King Fio Trucking in Long Beach, Calif., which has ordered 20 Semis, said:
"The problem with the technology that's out there right now is their range is limited. They're quite heavy, and they're very expensive. This is something new coming to the market that kind of answers all those problems."
The Tesla Semi is a lot quieter than diesel trucks, making it ideal for city routes
Ivan Torres, a driver for San Francisco-based Nevoya, described hauling freight up steep grades near Los Angeles last month.
"It hauls the load like nothing, just up.”
He also noted the truck runs quietly and can keep the air conditioning on without the idling restrictions that hamper diesel rigs near homes and schools.
The Semi features a center driving position
Tesla Semi’s cost savings
The Tesla Semi’s financial case strengthens with usage. "The more you drive it, the more you're going to get those fuel savings from electricity being cheaper than diesel," said Jacob Richard, trucks project manager at Calstart.
Diesel prices have risen sharply since the war with Iran began, widening the gap further.
Tesla recently began scaling the Tesla Semi’s production at its Nevada facility, which is designed to eventually produce up to 50,000 trucks per year. The company is also aggressively building out the Semi’s network of Megachargers.
California trucking firms, it seems, are already placing their bets.
But according to legacy truckmakers, the Semi is still not a threat, apparently.
Source: New York Times
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