First look: Tesla Semi

elon is just an dumbass poser, what about all the people that got killed due to making water powered vehicles?
this is an conspiracy website, i tell the truth not fluffy lies

a reply to: humanoidlord

also he thinks that to launch his "mars expedition" (wich is never going to happen) he is gonna get money from cargo runs to the ISS
conclusion: total retard

originally posted by: alldaylong
a reply to: LogicalGraphitti

Tesla is what history will remember being the company that started the ball rolling.

Really ?

An electric car from 1895 from British Engineer Thomas Parker.

I don't want to take away from Thomas Parker and his accomplishment but not much happened from his effort unfortunately. He was obviously ahead of his time. It's 120 years later and we seem to be starting from scratch. GM, by the way, put a lot of effort into electric vehicles long before it became popular. No one seems to remember that either. Electric propulsion is just coming of age and Elon will be remembered as the pioneer. Much like Henry Ford who didn't invent the automobile, just figured out a way to make it mainstream.

originally posted by: mbkennel
...and where is the strong head to head competitor from Daimler, BMW or Lexus?

It's coming and it won't be long.

VW announce $84 billion investment in electric cars

The world’s largest automaker by sales said on Monday it would roll out 80 new electric cars across its multi-brand group by 2025, up from a previous goal of 30, and wanted to offer an electric version of each of its 300 group models by 2030.

Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz launch electric cars: 'anything Tesla can do, we can do better'

German automakers Volkswagen Group and Daimler on Monday announced ambitious new plans to make long-range electric vehicles in a rapidly intensifying competition with Tesla, General Motors, Nissan and other global auto companies.

GM will release at least 20 all-electric cars by 2023

General Motors announced today that it will introduce two new all-electric vehicles within the next 18 months, the first of at least 20 new EVs that the automaker will launch by 2023. GM also renewed its commitment to hydrogen fuel cell technology, a clean fuel concept that still needs major infrastructure upgrades before it can become a viable alternative.

My guess is that with GM, Volkswagen, Ford, Toyota, et al, the electric car will become affordable for the common folk. Tesla will never get there before the money runs out.

originally posted by: iTruthSeeker
What happens to truck drivers when these go automated?

You say that like anything can stop that from happening.

There will not be a single paid driving job in 10 years or so. That is a fact, nothing short of a world war, an asteroid impact, or a supervolcano explosion is going to stop that from happening.

What happens to the drivers, well they will be unemployed, will they be able to find other work? Well the majority probably will not. Yeah, we are headed for monumental economic upheaval - but you can't stop progress.

originally posted by: LogicalGraphitti

originally posted by: mbkennel
...and where is the strong head to head competitor from Daimler, BMW or Lexus?

It's coming and it won't be long.

VW announce $84 billion investment in electric cars

The world’s largest automaker by sales said on Monday it would roll out 80 new electric cars across its multi-brand group by 2025, up from a previous goal of 30, and wanted to offer an electric version of each of its 300 group models by 2030.

Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz launch electric cars: 'anything Tesla can do, we can do better'

German automakers Volkswagen Group and Daimler on Monday announced ambitious new plans to make long-range electric vehicles in a rapidly intensifying competition with Tesla, General Motors, Nissan and other global auto companies.

GM will release at least 20 all-electric cars by 2023

General Motors announced today that it will introduce two new all-electric vehicles within the next 18 months, the first of at least 20 new EVs that the automaker will launch by 2023. GM also renewed its commitment to hydrogen fuel cell technology, a clean fuel concept that still needs major infrastructure upgrades before it can become a viable alternative.

My guess is that with GM, Volkswagen, Ford, Toyota, et al, the electric car will become affordable for the common folk. Tesla will never get there before the money runs out.

Tesla is going to get the production issues solved, anyone who knows Musk's history knows he never delivers on time - but when he does deliver he overdelivers.

The key to Tesla's success is all about batteries, quite frankly the car part of the business is really almost an after thought now. They do not have to become one of the top sellers of cars for the company to be successful.

The company is heavily involved now in creating grid batteries, and single family home solar shingles and battery arrays. That business alone is more than enough to keep all of the gigafactories they have lined up busy if they never supply for cars again.

Are they going have cash issues - perhaps - but nothing that is going to bankrupt the company or anything, they may just have to slow way down on their rollout of new products until they become profitable, which really should not be that hard if they get the model 3 production right.

I do think it is possible that they will just become a battery supplier and license their technology if funding does become a large issue - or merge with an existing automaker.

One reason they are having production issues is the level of automation being used is unheard of - they are reinventing the factory in this process. That has the effect of making the process not meet deadlines, but when it does they will have the most efficient factories ever created, and it will make rollout of the next gigafactories way smother.

I will say this, the idea that the existing automakers will out innovate Tesla is laughable to me. Can they out manufacture him - Absolutely. Boeing has been claiming they were going to crush spaceX also - and they are the ones getting crushed. You can't just change an entire corporate culture in a few years and dominate - but once they can copy Tesla and make a commodity product - yeah they can compete successfully then. But you know what at that point Musk doesn't want to be in the Auto business anymore anyway.

long haul truckers will never go for it.

It cuts there pay because most only get paid for driving and unloading hours.

Team drivers may only stop 5 min every 2 to 4 hours to change drivers and keep the truck moving for 2 days coast to coast..

a reply to: ANNED

The vast majority of drivers only get paid while the wheels are turning. You either get a percentage of the load cost, or by the mile. If certain conditions are met, you get paid detention pay for having to sit, but that doesn't start until anywhere from 1-3 hours after you get there.

As for the hours, we have to stop within 8 hours for a 30 minute break, and have to take a 10 consecutive hour break after driving an 11 hour shift.

originally posted by: iTruthSeeker
What happens to truck drivers when these go automated?

They lose some weight and stop killing people with their wreckless driving?

a reply to: Forensick

You mean the reckless driving of the cars that cause over 80% of all accidents involving trucks?

a reply to: theantediluvian

Tesla roadster specs
www.tesla.com...

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Forensick

You mean the reckless driving of the cars that cause over 80% of all accidents involving trucks?

So true. Any time there's an accident involving a truck, it's written up as a truck involved accident, even if it was completely caused by someone else. Even if a car rams into the side of the truck, it's still "truck involved". Even if the truck is parked properly, it's still "truck involved".

When they become driverless, they might be choosing to just run over cars that cut them off too closely, to avoid pile ups behind them....

a reply to: snowspirit

Trust me, it's crossed my mind more than once.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Actually, there is a very good reason they call it "Doom Porn".

Think about it

a reply to: Kashai

Run with a trucker for a couple days. You'll understand quick.

a reply to: Zaphod58


Actually, I drove, for a trucking company for 6 months and part of it involved going to the post office facility in, Virginia where I was assigned to carry 40,000 pounds of money.

Then, there was a place in Tennessee where I was asked to carry 20,000 pounds of a certain type of Plastic. I asked the guy why I was assigned to carry half my load. He explained, to me that the reason was related to insurance. In that due to the potential of accidents, and in general, it was less expensive to transport this particular type of plastic in relation to half the load and 18 wheeler can carry.

Have you ever been to a particular truck stop in West Virginia, where the showers, are about as large as a hotel room?

It spent the night there, with what was then a Semi tractor trailer and when I work up I has a shower.

In reality with respect to what I am into, I worked as a cross-country, truck driver as far west as St Paul Minnesota an and as far East as Miami, Florida.

And let me tell you something when it comes to driving and 18 wheeler in really dense Fog?


Stay at about 15mph and then Police will not pull you over for trying to get to your destination.

In that case, I got their 8 hours before my delivery time.

You ever started a truck like that from neutral and went directly to 5th gear and safety pulled out with it?

I have

Seriously at what gear would you start if you were involved in a race with a vehicle, like that????

a reply to: Kashai

My other half and I have lived almost six years on a truck, most of that running 48 state. I've done a lot and pulled a lot of strange loads.

Most of our loads are too heavy too start in 5th, but yes, I've done it. I got paid on one load to take 650 pounds, in a 53 foot trailer, from Everett Washington to Charleston South Carolina.

And I've spent years getting cut off to make an exit because an idiot couldn't get behind me. Almost run into or off the road because some car had to be ahead of the truck. Being told I'm number one because I didn't come to a complete stop on the interstate for the car that wanted to merge at 35 mph....

a reply to: Zaphod58

I was up in Chicago, op one the expressway at about 65-mile per hour.

This four wheeler cuts me off to take a (seriously they were not farther away than about ten feet when they slowed down to take the exit) and I was able to slow down enough using the brake pedal because I realized what they were doing at the moment and hit the people on time.

When I went to that truck stop I mentioned I was close to, the bo9rader at Kraft. Once they loaded me I went and checked my weight, I was about 1600 lbs over. So I went back and said take it off the dispatcher actually told me. (you got to take what I give you."

Seriously, at the time then load was going to Ohio (northern) and the route I was authorized to take (not private). Took me along the southern, tip of Pennsylvania, where I was going to run into a DOT spot where it did not matter if they all were, asleep. Then there was the time I was in pulling into Kentucky, with a Rookie who followed the expressway, signs while I was sleeping and ENDED up about 20 miles one of the truck stops in Nashville, you better hope your wife trusts you.


What ended up happening, is that while I was asleep, I work up when I felt the road changed. Otherwise, we would have been in deep, even if we were just caring 40 of toilet paper.

a reply to: Kashai

Played pool with a brother is St. Paul running with the big boys just in case.