UNITED STATES: After nearly ten months since its delivery to PepsiCo in December 2022, the Tesla Semi has finally undergone its first independent real-world test, producing promising results.
This milestone comes as part of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency’s (NACFE) Run On Less program, aimed at evaluating the practical performance of electric commercial vehicles.
PepsiCo, a key participant in the program, deployed 21 Tesla Semis, alongside other electric commercial vehicles, from its Sacramento, California depot. These vehicles were assigned both short-haul and long-haul delivery tasks.
While the majority of the fleet covers distances of under 100 miles, three Semis undertook journeys of up to 450 miles, in line with Tesla’s claimed range of 500 miles on a single charge.
According to NACFE, the Tesla Semis were assigned to “heavy-load long-haul transport operations,” traversing two specific routes around Sacramento for 18 days. The first route spanned 250-450 miles with a payload of up to 82,000 pounds, while the second covered less than 75 miles per day with a varying payload.
On an inaugural day, one Semi impressively covered 335 miles with approximately 17 percent state of charge remaining, maintaining a consistent speed of 62 mph on the highway.
The second Semi achieved 295 miles before recharging at around 21 percent charge. A third Semi managed a remarkable 377-mile range, depleting its battery to under two percent.
While the temperature on day one was 94 degrees Fahrenheit, the influence of factors such as elevation changes, driving patterns, and a precise payload remained undisclosed.
The Tesla Semi, equipped with three independent electric motors on the rear axle, boasts an energy consumption of less than 2 kilowatt hours per mile.
Although the official battery capacity is yet to be disclosed by Tesla, estimates suggest the 500-mile version is equipped with approximately 850-900 kWh of battery capacity. Notably, the Semi outperforms diesel trucks in incline performance.
Other participants in the Run On Less program are Schneider National with the Freightliner Cascadia and Performance Team with the Volvo VNR, each contributing to the crucial endeavor of advancing electric commercial vehicle technology.
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