An industry insider has reported that the upcoming Tesla semi truck will have a range of 200-300 miles per charge, limiting the distances and type of loads that can be hauled by the new electric big rig.
The unofficial reports about the vehicle’s travel range were revealed on Thursday, August 24th, by Ryder Chief Technology and Procurement Officer Scott Perry.
Perry, who is believed to have seen the specifications of the Tesla truck, says it will barely qualify to be considered a “long haul” vehicle.
The truck is expected to be a day cab and will be capable of a range of only 200-300 miles per charge while hauling a normal load, reported Reuters.
This 300 max range is not even a quarter of the distance a typical fully-fueled diesel semi truck can travel before refueling.
With such a short distance to travel between charges, Tesla’s new truck will most likely focus on local and regional hauls, which take up about 1/3 of the trucking industry. This leaves the other 2/3 of the industry, the long-haul trucking sector, generally unthreatened.
“I’m not going to count them out for having a strategy for longer distances or ranges,” said Perry.
“But right out of the gate I think that’s where they’ll start.”
Tesla would not comment on the range speculation, saying only that “Tesla’s policy is to always decline to comment on speculation, whether true or untrue, as doing so would be silly.”
The official reveal date of the upcoming Tesla semi truck is slated for September.