Tesla Semi receives another record order of 125 electric trucks from UPS

Bluesideup · 2017-12-20

Posted this earlier but somehow it got deleted. https://electrek.co/2017/12/19/tesla-semi-record-order-125-electric-trucks-ups/

scottf200

· #6 · Dec 20, 2017

http://www.businessinsider.com/companies-that-ordered-tesla-semi-2017-12

These are the companies who have placed orders for the Tesla Semi so far:

* Walmart: One of the first major companies to reserve the trucks, the retailer has made aggressive investments in technology in recent years as part of its effort to compete with Amazon.
* Pepsi: Pepsi previously had the largest Semi order, reserving 100 trucks in December.
* Anheuser-Busch: The brewer announced it ordered 40 Semis in December.
* Sysco: The food distributor has reserved 50 Semis.
* UPS: The delivery company placed the largest Semi order to date, reserving 125 trucks on Tuesday.
* DHL: The transportation and logistics company has reserved 10 Semis to add to its fleet.
* Meijer: Based in Michigan, the grocery chain has ordered four of the electric trucks.
* Ryder: The transportation company reserved an unspecified number of Semis in November.
* J.B. Hunt: The trucking company is set to purchase "multiple" Semis, but hasn't revealed the exact number.
* Flexport: Ryan Peterson, the freight company's CEO, announced the company has ordered one Semi.
* JK Moving: The independent moving company has reserved four Semis.
* Loblaw: After ordering 25 Semis, the Canadian supermarket chain announced plans to make its trucking fleet 100% electric by 2030.
* Fercam: Based in Italy, the trucking company has reserved a single Semi.
* Girteka Logistics: Not to be outdone by Fercam, the European transportation company also announced its plans to invest in one of Tesla's electric trucks.
* Fortigo Freight Services: The Canadian logistics company reserved one Semi.
* Best Transportation: The shipping company also ordered one Semi.
* Mecca & Son Trucking: According to Jalopnik, this trucking company has reserved one Semi.

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scottf200

· #11 · Dec 20, 2017

jayoldschool said:
Cheap publicity for companies, capital for Tesla's vaporware.

Clearly they are testing trucks and 3rd parties are as well providing feedback. Clearly not "vaporware."

https://electrek.co/2017/12/18/tesla-semi-test-program-partner-performance-specs-real/

In his latest note to clients, Morgan Stanley’s Adam Jonas says that he spoke with XPO Logistics, a company that helped Tesla test its prototypes:

“The Tesla semi has already received important validation from some customers. We spoke with mgmt. at XPO Logistics, one of the largest logistics companies in the country, that has been talking to Tesla on their EV semi for the past 18 months, including testing live prototypes. XPO mgmt. confirmed that in their testing, the features and capabilities of the truck mostly lived up to Tesla’s claims at the launch event, including the performance vs. diesel trucks up a 5% grade (55 mph vs 45 mph), recharging time, safety/anti jackknifing features and payload (similar to a typical diesel truck, as confirmed by Tesla).”

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scottf200

· #14 · Dec 20, 2017

AtomicPowered said:
Don't need a very large factory to build this kind of truck. A very big garage with a crane. If they were really clever they could assemble them at the customer's. Build a service garage at the customer site, ship a crew, a truckload of special parts and equipment and the big components shipped in from vendors.

One article via reddit indicated the semi's would be built at the NV gigafactory.

Reddit:

Daily Breeze just did an article on the Tesla Semi and the port of Long Beach in which they quoted, Ike Brown, the President of NFI Industries as saying “Supposedly they’re going to build a truck plant at the Gigafactory”. They had just placed an order for 10 Semi Truck’s and do a majority of the operations at the Long Beach port, so it sounds like they have been in close talks with Tesla and I would imagine that the “ok, so where are you going to actually build it?” Question came up and this is what Tesla told them. It probably wouldn’t need to be a huge portion of the Gigafactory, at most I don’t see them building more than 10,000 a month and that’s only after several years time. There could be a higher demand if they really start expanding internationally, but that’s something they could do overseas as well.

Reddit link: https://www.reddit.com/r/teslamotor...la_semi_to_be_manufactured_at_nv_gigafactory/
Daily Breeze article: http://www.dailybreeze.com/2017/11/...each-port-complex-2-years-before-its-release/

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scottf200

· #20 · Dec 21, 2017 (Edited)

3

PrivatePilot said:
All other arguments aside, as someone who's driven a truck for over 2 decades now for work, there's a lot of issues with that truck, mainly with the centre seating position. It's a classic case of when an engineer who's never actually done someones job for a single day of their lives designs the equipment that someone relies on to do their job.

There's gonna be a lot of smashed up trailers from guys trying to back into tight docks with these things.

That is pretty curious. You do realize they have various partners testing the trucks already right. ie. not engineers.

Don't you think if they just put larger mirrors on either side like 1 of the demonstration trucks (in reveal) had that that would be the same benefit. I mean if today in existing trucks you are sitting close to the left door and have a mirror on passenger (right) don't you have to look *all* the way across the cab to see that mirror in backing up? See my confusion?

In this picture I just quickly made up to demonstrate my point is the combined distance to both your mirrors used for backing up from the traditional left drivers seat the same as from the middle seat position?

Aside: Guess work by KmanAuto on what was in the one semi at the event.

Red arrow on the right side of the picture below is the above picture.

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scottf200

· #29 · Dec 21, 2017

PrivatePilot said:
As for some testbed tractors already having been out there in testing, trust me, the companies and drivers actually operating them were probably under ironclad non disclosure agreements that would have them sued into oblivion if they said too much, or the wrong things about the trucks.

But the NDAs have *nothing* to do with the tester providing feedback to Tesla but only publicly. If they provide feedback to Tesla on the seat location then it could affect the choices Tesla makes or the ordering options Tesla makes available.

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scottf200

· #30 · Dec 21, 2017 (Edited)

PrivatePilot said:
A driver NEVER blindsides into a dock/parking spot unless there is absolutely no other possible option. Drivers back into docks using their "good side" - that's the side the driver is sitting in. Why? Because beyond certain angles with the trailer, mirrors become useless - all you can see in them is the side of the trailer on the drivers side, or absolutely nothing useful whatsoever on the passenger side. At that point, we actually look out the window to see the back fo the trailer and maneuver accordingly. Yeah, line of sight while reversing - the KISS method. Impossible on this Tesla setup.
...
Want another example? About 15 times every day I pass paperwork to someone in a security booth, or I have to use keycards to open gates, etc. Good luck doing that in one of these Teslas without fully parking (brakes applied and out of gear) and then walking in a hunched up position inside the cab over to the window, and then back again.

That is interesting feedback about security booth, keycards, etc. What percentage of truckers have those requirements and also importantly as many times of day as you personally do.

PrivatePilot said:
Again, unless you've done the job you wouldn't really grasp all the issues with this design. This is JUST the beginning. Lets not even mention the proprietary trailers required to actually get the range claims, etc etc.

That is why they already have real-world testers. You act like this was banged out by engineers and just built and handed off without input. Plus one of the main Tesla guys on the project came from another trucking company.

UPDATE:

Jerome Guillen is a French engineer and an experienced automotive executive best known in the Tesla community for being the Model S Program Director during a crucial time for Tesla’s vehicle program (2010-2013). Prior to joining Tesla, he was a longtime Daimler engineer and led the development of the Cascadia truck.
https://electrek.co/2017/11/26/tesla-semi-vp-trucks-electric-presentation/

Big companies would certainly go *further* down the road of customizing their trailers BUT haven't they already been doing that? Trailers have changed a lot in the past several years for better economy. Big companies look at 'spreadsheets' and small percentages of changes that add up big over the years.

Tesla doesn't need to sell the truck to every possible type of owner and situation. I'm sure there is a small percentage of the market that this will work fantastic in.

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