Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk, last year, expressed the company’s interest in producing more than just cars; with works on self-driving semis, pickup trucks and buses. At that time, business was not in shape and numerous losses were on the register. But in a very short while, Tesla is already pulling strings with rhythm considering the flow of events. In a series of tweets last Thursday, Mr Musk confirmed that the company will show an electric truck in September. This will come after the final unveiling of the much anticipated Model 3 Sedan in July. There is also indication that a pickup will unveil in 18 to 24 months, and an upgrade of the Roadster to a convertible.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 13, 2017
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 13, 2017
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 13, 2017 The set goal, here to achieve, is making 5000 vehicles a week upon start of production of the Model 3 Sedan – a representation of a turning point in car sales for the company. The production of electric trucks would be an environmentally friendly alternative to diesel-powered trucks, but are disadvantaged in range coverage. Diesel-powered trucks cover 400 to 600 miles a day, which is not achievable with battery power alone. An all-electric truck would cover just half of that, and need to be charged up to move on. This would imply the need for more Supercharger stations along the line of travel for these vehicles, and just as many to avoid long queues of EV drivers waiting up for a charge re-fill. It is not yet very clear whether these trucks will be self-driving, or not. It is only time to tell how far the innovation can go. Early this year, Ford also made clear its intentions of engaging in all-electric vehicle production with 7 models scheduled to hit the market toward the end of the decade and early in the next decade. Workhorse Group is also working on a 5-seater hybrid pickup truck expected to be revealed on May 2.
