Gary Zhou 
Elon Musk glanced up to a slide during the Tesla Semi reveal last night and announced, “It’s a beast.” He explained, “If you’re a truck driver and you want the most bad-ass rig on the road, this is it.” During the presentation, Musk also teased an especially cool feature that appears to be available for Cybertruck. More to come on that in a moment.
First, it’s worth answering the all-important question: why is Tesla getting into the trucking game at all? CNBC reports, “[Semi truck] emissions can have dastardly health effects on people who live near warehouses, ports, and other roadways with lots of trucking activity.”
“According to transportation and air quality research by the American Lung Association … [trucks] generate an outsized amount of pollution, including 59% of ozone and particle-forming nitrogen oxide emissions, and 26% of the greenhouse gas emissions from transportation,” reports CNBC.
Musk said that the Semi would not only help combat climate change. “It’s also quiet, will improve the quality of your air, and will improve the health of people living near freeways.” He called the Semi “a crucial piece of the puzzle” that will help Tesla’s mission to accelerate a transition to more-sustainable energy.
The tech is as game-changing as its impact cleaning up our air. It’s reported that, “One major difference between Tesla’s Class 8 offering and other heavy-duty trucks is the location of the steering wheel and the driver’s seat. Rather than using the left side, Tesla designed the Semi with the steering wheel in the center of the cab with touchscreens positioned on both sides of the driver.”
In addition, “[there’s] a new, fast-charging system, and a battery with greater range than competitors. The DC fast-charging system delivers up to 1MW, and employs a water-based coolant to ensure it’s safe in delivering that power … [and will also be] used to power up Cybertrucks, the consumer pickup truck Tesla is planning.”
9-Minute Supercut
For more, see this summary video:
