::sigh:: Should we really be surprised when Tesla promises something and the end result is not exactly as initially promised?
Sure, we’re used to timelines shifting like Technoking Elon Musk’s hairline. He’d said earlier this August that the long range version of the Tesla Semi would start deliveries by the end of 2022.
Three years later than originally announced, and you know what? Tesla has stopped taking online reservations for thing, which many supporters claim is a sign that they’re getting closer to production — but does it really make sense for a company to stop taking orders after nearly five full years because it’s ready to start filling them?
Even if Tesla does start shipping the trucks, it remains to be seen if the people who placed orders will still want them, given the changes being made and the fact that there are now several other, legit BEV options to choose from. Little nitpicks we have about what was promised versus what Tesla is putting out include details like charging speed. Previously, the company had said that drivers could expect to get 400 miles of range from just 30 minutes of charging. Now, the updated Tesla Semi webpage says, “Semi can travel up to 500 miles on a single charge. Recover up to 70 percent of range in 30 minutes using Tesla’s Semi Chargers.”
Sorry, truckers, Tesla says you’ll only get 350 miles on a 30-minute charge when (if?) you finally do get your semi — a bit frustrating when time and distance equals money for drivers. Here’s hoping those new Megachargers are easily accessible for quick charging.
One thing we can seem to rely on is how uninspired the interior of the Semi remains, even after three extra years of potential design updates. Back in 2017, the Semi’s interior featured a lot of the original Model 3’s elements, from the dashboard to the driver displays, and God Emperor Musk’s company (Ha! —Ed.) continues along those lines, having basically taken elements from both the new Model S and Model X and the Model 3 and Model Y.
But hey, this is a company run by Musk, whose own dad has said he’s disappointed in his son, so I guess disappointing people isn’t anything new when it comes to Musk.
One nice change to the interior cabin could be the revised driver console, which appears to have two wireless smartphone chargers. This would actually benefit truck drivers, who often carry both a personal phone and a work phone. Of course, this could still change before rollout, so who knows what practical touches like these would end up in the final product.
Here’s hoping FSD isn’t shoved in there, too — it’s funny when some rich guy’s self-driving car drives itself into his private plane. When a semi carrying potentially flammable material decides that it can’t see a preschool? That’s a lot less funny.
Enough talk, though. Tesla fan Simon Alvarez put together this quick, 10 second “fly-through” of the latest Tesla Semi interior renderings, which you can watch, below. Once you do, let us know what you think of the changes in the comments.
Tesla Semi | Likely Production Interior Fly-through
SOURCE | IMAGES: TESLA, VIA CARBUZZ.
