At this point, you've probably at least heard about the Tesla Semi, but it may not matter much to you. It's not very likely you're comparing its price and specs to rivals to decide if you should splurge for one for yourself unless you own or work for a trucking company. However, the impact of a vehicle like the Tesla Semi may end up being something that makes its way into the history books.
Sure, there's always plenty of news and talk surrounding Tesla's passenger cars and their rivals. We're talking about sporty EVs that are eye-catching, quick, efficient, and highly accommodating. Electrification is beginning to quickly change cars for the better, and in more ways than just eliminating tailpipe emissions.
That said, many EVs are still reserved for the wealthy, or at least for people who are in a decent financial position and can not only afford the higher upfront cost, but also the electrical upgrades for their homes, the Level 2 charging station, etc. This is slowly changing, and with more affordable EVs coming to market, plus the revamped US federal EV tax credit, hopefully, electric cars, trucks, and SUVs will be accessible to all.
In the meantime, transitioning commercial and government vehicles from gas to electric stand to make an even bigger impact. Imagine if all police cars, fire trucks, mail trucks, school buses, city buses, and construction equipment were electrified. It seems the day is coming, but certainly not soon enough.
Once huge EVs like the Tesla Semi prove that they are better than their gas- and diesel-powered cousins, they're cheaper to fuel, less expensive and much easier to maintain, and exponentially better for the environment, we can only hope a trend will start.
In the video above from Fully Charged Show, Ricky Roy explains why the Tesla Semi is such a big deal, and he crunches some numbers to make the explanation even more compelling. We're talking about the biggest EV ever put into service, emissions reductions that are comparable to many passenger EVs combined, and so much more.
Fully Charged Show provided the following topics and timestamps to help navigate the video. Check it out and then leave us a comment below.
- 00:00 The biggest EV ever!
- 00:52 The importance of trucking
- 1:41 1 Semi or 11 Model Ys?
- 3:23 The driver's experience
- 5:06 Maintenance? What maintenance??
- 7:11 What about the weight?
- 8:31 The unexpected extra benefits
- 9:28 Missing features...
Source: Fully Charged Show (YouTube)