Tesla may now be headquartered in Austin, Texas, but it still has a formidable presence in California, where public policy and funding has paved the way for electric passenger cars, and now, electric big rigs.
The company bills the Semi as nothing less than the future of trucking, but that may prove to be as overly optimistic as its initial plan to start production in 2019. For one, truck stops aren’t ready to deliver the huge amounts of power big rigs and their giant batteries will require. One recent study found the projected power needs for a big truck stop will equal that of a small town by 2035.
Musk said during Tesla’s last earnings call that the company is tentatively aiming to produce 50,000 Semis for North America in 2024. He appears to have taken the product off the back burner after the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act, which makes up to $40,000 tax credits available to commercial vehicles.
For all the help truck manufacturers and their customers are getting from governments, the transition to cleaner commercial vehicles also will be dictated by tougher emissions rules forcing the issue.
“Trucking will always be driven by cost per mile and total cost of ownership,” said Mike Roeth, executive director of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency. “But we’re moving into a world where diesel is no longer an option because of changing regulations. The game has changed, and fleets are leaning into zero-emission options, whether its electric or hydrogen.”
