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Tesla's plan to charge electric semis relies on its customers
Customers have been lining up to order some of Tesla's electric big rigs since the Semi debuted in November, but there is one big question: where will they get charged? According to Reuters, at first the rollout will rely on customers like Pepsi and UPS to build on-site "megachargers" and trucks will be restricted to going back and forth on routes that keep them near home base. Representatives for the companies confirmed they're working with Tesla to build in-house charging locations, however, the plan for a Supercharger-like network that could juice up trucks on the road is a bit fuzzier.
Tesla's electric big rig spotted in the wild
Who said you had to wait until October 26th to see Tesla's electric big rig? A succession of Reddit users have posted and reposted a photo that appears to show Tesla's semi truck sitting on a flatbed. And to no one's surprise, this isn't the Smokey and the Bandit-style truck of yore -- it's all swooping curves, complete with an expansive cockpit window. You can also see the vehicle's detached fairing off to the left.
Cummins unveils an electric big rig weeks before Tesla
Sorry, Tesla, but someone just stole the thunder from the electric big rig you were planning to unveil this fall. The engine giant Cummins has unveiled a concept semi truck, the AEOS, that runs entirely on the power of an electric motor and a 140kWh battery pack. It's roughly as powerful as a 12-liter fossil fuel engine and could haul 44,000 pounds of cargo, just without the emissions or rampant fuel costs of a conventional truck. There's speedy 1-hour charging, and Cummins is even looking at solar panels on the trailer to extend range. It's a promising offering, although Elon Musk and crew might not lose too much sleep knowing the limitations.
Tesla considers 'platoons' of self-driving electric semis
In April, Elon Musk revealed a project Tesla had been working on since 2016: Electric semi-trucks. Turns out he had more in store for the big rigs. Much like his company's work building self-driving consumer cars, a report alleges that Musk wants his electric semis to travel autonomously in 'platoons' led by a single lead vehicle.
Tesla is getting 1,800 Model 3 reservations per day
After narrowly meeting its promise to launch the Model 3 in July, Tesla has released its latest earnings report (PDF). Other than slightly higher than expected revenue, the company says that since the delivery event, it has averaged 1,800 Model 3 pre-orders per day. Of course, if you're getting in line now you could be in for quite a wait. The company expects to build about 1,500 Model 3s during the third quarter, but is maintaining its prediction that it will expand production to reach 5,000 of the cars per week by the end of this year.
Toyota is testing a hydrogen fuel-cell powered semi
Toyota built a larger sibling for the hydrogen fuel cell powered Mirai, a semi truck. The automaker is testing a water-expelling big rig at the Port of Los Angeles that it hopes will yield data to help build a fleet of zero-emission trucks.
This giant clock was made by driving 14 trucks in circles
When you're in the business of selling long-distance trucks, it makes a lot of sense to show off how far your vehicles can drive and demonstrate how reliable they can be. Instead of relying on real-world road tests and throwing a bunch of metrics in a specification sheet, Swedish automotive company Scania decided build a 750,000 square foot clock entirely made by 14 of its trucks. The end result is pretty impressive.
Recommended Reading: The making of a self-driving semitruck
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. How Daimler Built the World's First Self-driving Semi by Alex Davies Wired In case you missed it, Daimler built a self-driving big rig, and it just recently got the OK to hit the road in Nevada. The Freightliner truck, known as Inspiration, took a team of around 60 engineers six months to build. Wired's Alex Davies offers a behind-the-scenes look at the project, detailing some of the tech that's onboard.
Mercedes' semi-autonomous truck lets its driver relax on the highway
If you've ever driven a highway on a major trip, you know how monotonous it can get -- and it only gets worse for big rig operators, who may spend every day on those uneventful roads. Mercedes-Benz may eventually let those long-haul drivers make better use of their time, though. It just recently demonstrated Future Truck 2025, a semi-autonomous concept vehicle that takes the reins on the highway. A combination of radar and stereo cameras keep the machine on the right course once it's up to speed, freeing the driver to check up on the family or get work done. It can optionally talk to other vehicles to anticipate upcoming construction or traffic jams, and it's smart enough to get out of the way if an ambulance comes speeding by.
