Elon Musk: Tesla Semi, 'beast', to be unveiled next month

Maybe intracity/intracounty only, but they're not ready for nationwide or interstate travel. The electric grid can't handle rapid charging required to make an electric semi, even semi-viable, and there's no charging stations distributed to be worth it either.
Nice idea, but batteries are no where near ready to replace fuel tanks. I'm sure glad I didn't have to try to out run Hurricane Irma in a crappy little Tesla.

Electric vehicles only serve to trap men and reduce freedom and choice, not extend it.

In regard to battery technology, there is a type of battery that harnesses the power of radioactive waste to produce a current that can last for many many years.

I believe that the time has come for nuclear batteries. They can actually be friendly to the environment as they'll eliminate the need for disposable batteries as a whole and some of the nuclear waste can be repurposed for their construction.

Originally posted by ivymike:

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In regard to battery technology, there is a type of battery that harnesses the power of radioactive waste to produce a current that can last for many many years.

I believe that the time has come for nuclear batteries. They can actually be friendly to the environment as they'll eliminate the need for disposable batteries as a whole and some of the nuclear waste can be repurposed for their construction.

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This tech does have potential for fixed location power generation but the combination of radioactivity and the risk of leaks due to impact or fire mean it won't be getting support any time soon.

As for the Tesla semi itself, a new sleeper (the kind used for over-the-road) runs well over $100k. I don't know how they intend to get an electric truck on the road for less than the price of a diesel one. For over-the-road they would need charging stations basically everywhere that there are currently truck stops...a task that might be more involved and expensive than landing people on Mars. So basically if it is a sleeper truck, then it is both useless and being sold at a loss. If it is something more basic with no sleeper and it is only used locally then charging is solved by whoever buys it...but there is still the issue of range. A typical local driver does between 300 and 600 miles a day...at a weight of up to 80,000lbs. There is also 8-14 hours of A/C or heat, the radio, and other electronic loads. The size and weight and cost of the batteries required would be massive.

So basically, if Tesla had the ability to make a practical electric semi for $100k, then they would also have the ability to make a car that has a 1,000mi range with performance better than a Porsche 911 that sells for $20k...and if they can do that, they should just do that.

Originally posted by ivymike:

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In regard to battery technology, there is a type of battery that harnesses the power of radioactive waste to produce a current that can last for many many years.

I believe that the time has come for nuclear batteries. They can actually be friendly to the environment as they'll eliminate the need for disposable batteries as a whole and some of the nuclear waste can be repurposed for their construction.

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Yeah, I've read about the prototypes of these "batteries". More of another slick graphene application, one where it can convert it's tuned radiation (this time heat in the IR range, like photovoltaics) directly into electricity wtihout another middle man. Unfortunately there's just not nearly a high enough energy output for anything but a giant fixed location, centralized power plant.

On the plus side, we'd finally have a use for our spent nuclear fuel.

This whole article is just more crazy Musk ramblings to get himself more free PR.

Originally posted by Tarsellis:

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Maybe intracity/intracounty only, but they're not ready for nationwide or interstate travel. The electric grid can't handle rapid charging required to make an electric semi, even semi-viable, and there's no charging stations distributed to be worth it either.
Nice idea, but batteries are no where near ready to replace fuel tanks. I'm sure glad I didn't have to try to out run Hurricane Irma in a crappy little Tesla.

Electric vehicles only serve to trap men and reduce freedom and choice, not extend it.

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Don't know about that last comment m8. I keep my electric bike batteries charged with a solar setup. It has given me an amazing amount of freedom and reliability. Gas bikes were always breaking. I have 3 of them in in need of various repairs.

Originally posted by Scaldari:

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Originally posted by Tarsellis:

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Maybe intracity/intracounty only, but they're not ready for nationwide or interstate travel. The electric grid can't handle rapid charging required to make an electric semi, even semi-viable, and there's no charging stations distributed to be worth it either.
Nice idea, but batteries are no where near ready to replace fuel tanks. I'm sure glad I didn't have to try to out run Hurricane Irma in a crappy little Tesla.

Electric vehicles only serve to trap men and reduce freedom and choice, not extend it.

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Don't know about that last comment m8. I keep my electric bike batteries charged with a solar setup. It has given me an amazing amount of freedom and reliability. Gas bikes were always breaking. I have 3 of them in in need of various repairs.

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What I mean is you're stuck in the municipality you live in. Long distance trips, out of state travel, instant refueling, are all out of the question. You're dependent on the centralized and increasingly unstable grid.

You're electric bike is great for getting around town. But that's an outlier, and still a very limited function.

Until we get a more distributed grid (preferably per home), and a breakthrough in battery technology that isn't even visible on the horizon, electric vehicles that do what our planes, trains and automobiles do today just can't happen.

Until our world has a universal "grid system", autonomous vehicles/self-driving autos are a waste.

We're still about 25 years from regular, FULLY autonomous and hands-free driving like we are imagining now.

No system with four wheels will ever be truly trustworthy based on its own individual eyes and sensors unless, all cars know where the others are at any given precise moment in time.