It Costs $20,000 to Reserve a Tesla Semi Truck
Finally, the order books are open for the upcoming Tesla Semi truck. On top of the ability to preorder, we now have information about performance, range, and pricing. Most notably, it costs $20,000 to reserve a Tesla Semi truck, which is a lot. Even the Tesla Cybertruck, with an MSRP ranging from $40,000-$70,000, only costs $100 to preorder. We hope no one other than Elon Musk was looking to add a Tesla Semi to their personal collection.
Tesla is finally taking reservations on the Semi
In July 2021, Tesla announced customers would begin taking delivery of the first Tesla Semi truck units by the end of the year. However, that never happened, and we’ve yet to hear any more updates from the automaker. Next, in March of this year, Tesla filed a patent for an automatic tire inflation system. Perfect for semi-trucks, the system allows the driver to adjust tire pressure on the go.
Following a delay since 2019, will 2022 finally be the year we see Tesla semis hit the road? We doubt it, but the automaker taking preorders probably means we’re closer than ever before. Like with the Cybertruck, the announcement received a lot of attention, then we all just forgot about it. Will Tesla trucks ever reach customers?
A Tesla semi-truck preorder costs $20,000
Tesla hasn’t provided details about when production will actually begin. Instead, they’ve just opened the order books and allowed customers to hand over their money. As a result, you can place a $20,000 deposit to secure an early spot if production begins. Although, as CarBuzz noted, you’ll be in line behind Pepsi, which placed an order for 15 units last year.
Tesla semi-truck price and specs
There are two different semi-trucks available for preorder from the electric vehicle titans. Firstly, the base model with an expected price of $150,000. Alternatively, the more expensive model, with more range and other features, is expected to start at $180,000. Furthermore, the base model has 300 miles of range per charge, while the more expensive model can drive 500 miles between charging stations.
Each Tesla Semi truck uses four independent motors mounted in the rear of the vehicle. Moreover, the truck can impressively go from 0 to 60 mph in just 20 seconds, even with 80,000 pounds on board. While that sounds amazing, we’re worried about stopping a truck traveling that fast with all that weight. Although, we’d like to think truck drivers will seldom travel at that speed. In addition, the Tesla Semi has a 0.36 drag coefficient, and its claimed energy consumption is lower than 2 kWh per mile.
As for the size of the battery, that information isn’t public yet. However, we wouldn’t expect it to be as large as competitors like Nikola with the energy consumption figure. It uses a regular round steering wheel, so yoke-haters rejoice. In addition, large infotainment screens are located on either side of the driver, located in the center of the cabin. Each infotainment screen also functions as a digital mirror to help eliminate blind spots.
Do you want a Tesla Semi?
Tesla says electric energy costs are half that of diesel and could save a truck owner $200,000 in just two years. Additionally, EVs are cheaper to maintain because they use fewer components than standard models. On the downside, owners will have to take time to recharge every 300 or 500 miles. While that’s probably further than most can drive on a diesel tank, charging times are still a little long for truck drivers in a rush.
In conclusion, it costs $20,000 to reserve a Tesla Semi truck. There are many benefits to driving one of these instead of traditional models. However, it’s expensive to get into one, and a lot remains unknown. Lastly, we don’t know when it will officially enter production, let alone become available to drivers.
