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Tesla unveils its first electric articulated lorry - and a new sports car

Mark Dorman
The Tesla Semi, the company’s electric big-rig truck, unveiled overnight (REUTERS/Tesla)
The Tesla Semi, the company’s electric big-rig truck, unveiled overnight (REUTERS/Tesla)

Tesla has unveiled its first electric articulated lorry – and also a surprise new sports car.

The sleek, almost sinister-looking, truck is set to challenge the dominance of the traditional diesel lorries as long haul kings of the road.

Elon Musk’s US-based company said the truck would go into production in 2019.

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The Tesla Semi will achieve 0-60mph in 20 seconds when pulling 36,287kg (80,000lb), the maximum allowed on US roads. It’s claimed to have a 500-mile range on a single charge.

Speaking on stage at Tesla’s facility in Los Angeles, chief executive Musk said: “It’s not like any truck that you’ve ever driven.”

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Musk had teased the reveal on Twitter during the week. On Sunday, he promised it “will blow your mind clear out of your skull and into an alternate dimension”, while on Wednesday he said the truck “can transform into a robot, fight aliens and make one hell of a latte”.

The new Tesla truck will have a range of 400 miles on one full charge, the company claims (Tesla via AP)
The new Tesla truck will have a range of 400 miles on one full charge, the company claims (Tesla via AP)
An interior view of the Tesla Semi shows a central driving position, not on the left nor the right (Tesla/Reuters)
An interior view of the Tesla Semi shows a central driving position, not on the left nor the right (Tesla/Reuters)

During the event, Musk said the new truck would cost 20% less per mile compared with diesel rivals. Safety features include enhanced autopilot, lane-keeping technology, and a design that makes jackknifing “impossible”, Musk said.

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There are an estimated 3.5 million truck drivers in the US, the vast majority of whom drive diesel-powered engines.

One of the major challenges for Tesla will be to convince drivers of the range and battery life of an electric alternative.

Tesla Roadster 2 will go into production in 2020 (Tesla/Reuters)
Tesla Roadster 2 will go into production in 2020 (Tesla/Reuters)
Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveils the Roadster 2 during a presentation in California (Tesla/Reuters)
Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveils the Roadster 2 during a presentation in California (Tesla/Reuters)

The company plans to build a network of “Megachargers” across the major US road networks that can produce a 400-mile charge in 30 minutes.

Musk maintained it would be “economic suicide” to continue using diesel trucks.

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A sleek new red sports car was driven out of the trailer of the electric lorry during Tesla’s presentation on Thursday.

The Roadster will have a range of close to 1,000km (620 miles) on a single charge and will do 0-100mph in 4.2 seconds.

Musk described it as “a hardcore smackdown to gasoline cars”, adding: “Driving a gasoline sports car is going to feel like a steam engine with a side of quiche.”

Production on the Roadster is due to begin in 2020.