{"id":19723,"date":"2017-12-21T08:54:51","date_gmt":"2017-12-21T13:54:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gofleet.com\/?p=19723"},"modified":"2020-08-04T13:53:15","modified_gmt":"2020-08-04T13:53:15","slug":"year-electric-truck","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gofleet.com\/year-electric-truck\/","title":{"rendered":"2017 Was a Big Year for Electric Vehicles (Pt. 1) | Electric Truck"},"content":{"rendered":"

The electric truck, led by the big Tesla reveal, is making a big buzz!<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Elon Musk dazzled the audience by revealing the Tesla Semi. The Tesla Semi is Tesla\u2019s all-electric truck and is an amazing feat for electric vehicles!<\/p>\n

What\u2019s with the electric vehicle buzz?<\/h3>\n

Electric vehicles are soaring in popularity. A lot of people wrote off electric cars. Just a few years ago, there was even a documentary called \u201cWho Killed the Electric Car?\u201d. For a long time, electric cars were slow selling and were tagged as a toy for green geeks.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t the case anymore! For instance, there are now at least 34 electric vehicles on the American market. In the last few years, engineers designed electric cars to be affordable, quick charging, and powerful.<\/p>\n

In addition to regular people looking into electric vehicles, many fleets are doing the same. Let\u2019s take a look at why fleets are excited about the Tesla Semi.<\/p>\n

\"year<\/p>\n

Highlights on Tesla\u2019s big electric truck reveal:<\/h3>\n

Pure electric <\/strong><\/h4>\n

The Tesla Semi is fully electric! The truck can be used for both short haul and long haul jobs.<\/p>\n

For short-haul jobs, the Tesla Semi can be used on a single charge per day. This is because its battery life has a range of 500 miles. How convenient!<\/p>\n

What about long haul? Long-haul truckers can quickly charge their Tesla Semi throughout their route. The Tesla Semi uses Megachargers, which are mega powerful solar-powered battery chargers. As a result, truckers can fully charge their truck during their 30-minute break.<\/p>\n

Economical<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Elon Musk promises that the Tesla Semi will save money from the start. He went as far as saying that using diesel trucks would be \u201ceconomic suicide\u201d.<\/p>\n

To Tesla\u2019s point, a lot of people were surprised at the Tesla Semi\u2019s affordable price tag. The trucks start at $150,000, which is in line with some diesel models.<\/p>\n

The real savings, however, start after using the truck. The Tesla Semi only has a cost of about $0.85 per mile. This is lower than diesel trucks and rail alternatives.<\/p>\n

Super performance<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Sure, the Tesla Semi runs on electricity and might be cheaper per mile. That\u2019s all cool, but how does the Tesla Semi perform against traditional trucks?<\/p>\n

Alas, the Tesla Semi does not disappoint. Onlookers felt giddy about the technical specs. For example, the tractor can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 5 seconds! Musk also promised that the truck is sturdy enough to have 0 breakdowns in its first million miles.<\/p>\n

Safety and autonomous driving<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another big part of Tesla\u2019s reveal is autonomous driving. In addition to just being an electric truck, Musk said that the Tesla Semi can drive itself on the highway.<\/p>\n

Indeed, to the crowd’s amazement, the Tesla Semi uses collision avoidance and lane assist technology to get the job done. These tools ensure that Tesla Semis can drive safely and avoid accidents.<\/p>\n

Also, it allows Tesla Semis to \u201cplatoon\u201d. Platooning is where trucks are connected together and drive in a line. As a result of platooning, driving efficiency and traffic flow is improved.<\/p>\n

How are fleets reacting to the Tesla Semi?<\/h3>\n