“Tesla Semi” Set To Debut Next Year

As part of a recently revealed ‘master plan‘, CEO Elon Musk has revealed that he intends to add the “Tesla Semi” to his electric vehicle lineup — and he promised to make the truck “really fun” for drivers.

Musk Promises That Tesla Semi Will Be Fun To Drive

Tesla Motors is best known for electric cars, but Musk has revealed that he plans to Tesla-ize SUVs, pickup trucks, buses, and yes, tractor trailers. Musk says that electric semis are a necessary part of his vision because they will “deliver a substantial reduction in the cost of cargo transport, while increasing safety and making it really fun to operate.”

Musk said that both heavy duty trucks and buses are already being developed and should be ready to debut by next year.

Critics of the masterplan say it is too vague. “As is typical, Elon Musk has laid out a grandiose plan for the future with no time frames and few specifics, and no mention of how and when Tesla will be profitable,” writes Michelle Krebs of Autotrader.com Inc.

Tesla Semi To Try To Compete With Nikola One

The Tesla Semi is also in direct competition with the Nikola One, which also doesn’t yet have a prototype. The Nikola One does, however, have a scheduled debut date — December 2016 — and it also allegedly has 7,000 preorders worth $2.3 billion.

‘Tesla Semi?’ Elon Musk’s master plan is trucking awesome https://t.co/Xsd0EybVTe

— SFGate (@SFGate) July 21, 2016

Sources:
Road And Track
Bloomberg
USA Today
Tech Crunch