Tesla's new electric Semi truck was seen in a timelapse video traveling 500 miles on full load with just a single charge. CEO Elon Musk hailed this a milestone for the company, but at the same time, it has also defied the doubts previously expressed by Bill Gates and Martin Daum.
Naysayers and Doubters
Electrek reports that the Tesla Semi prototype revolutionized the perception of what an electric vehicle could be when it was presented by Tesla back in 2017, which is a battery-electric class 8 long-haul vehicle.
But of course, there were naysayers and doubters of this venture.
One of them is Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, who expressed his doubt about the project in 2020, three years after Musk unveiled the prototype.
Two of the wealthiest men on the planet at the time, Bill Gates and Elon Musk, got into an argument because Musk thought Gates was shorting Tesla's shares.
Gates claimed in a blog post that the weight of the batteries would prevent all-electric semi-trucks like the Tesla Semi from operating.
"Even with big breakthroughs in battery technology, electric vehicles will probably never be a practical solution for things like 18-wheelers, cargo ships, and passenger jets. Electricity works when you need to cover short distances, but we need a different solution for heavy, long-haul vehicles," Gates said.
However, Electrek noted that Gates wasn't the only person who had reservations about Tesla Semi. Martin Daum, head of trucks at Daimler, claimed that Tesla's 500-mile range is impossible and it would have broken the fundamental principles of physics.
Since then, Daimler has released a number of its own battery-electric trucks, but none of them have a range that is even close to 500 miles.
But Tesla proved otherwise when it declared that it had successfully completed a 500-mile run with the Tesla Semi hauling a full cargo. Tesla presented some evidence of the journey at the Tesla Semi Delivery Event.
Read also: Tesla Semi is Shipping This December-Musk Shares 500-Mile Trip with 81,000 lbs. Full Load Test
First Semis Delivered to Pepsi
The Texas-based business also delivered its first semi trucks to Pepsi's factory in Reno, Nevada, on Thursday, Dec. 1. The highly-anticipated event was also covered live on Musk's newly owned social media app Twitter.
According to Musk, the vehicle can carry a load weighing 82,000 pounds for 500 miles (800 kilometers) on a single charge (37,000 kilograms). The company plans to produce 50,000 Semi trucks in North America by 2024.
Competitors of the automaker that are building hydrogen-powered semis claim that battery-powered trucks won't work for long-haul carriers since the massive batteries would take a long time to recharge. But Musk said that big trucks don't require hydrogen.
The Tesla Semi was initially expected to be released between 2020 and 2021. However, it has experienced substantial delays.
Now, Pepsi is the first to experience the full glories of Tesla's eagerly-waited Semi trucks.
Related Article : Tesla Adds 10 Supercharger Locations Worldwide, Leading to 40,000 in Total for its Fast-Charging Network
