The Tesla Semi has been impressing social media users with its apparent speed, taking on diesel-powered trucks on the Donner Pass with ease.
But it's not the first time the electric-powered long-haul vehicle has demonstrated its capabilities in terms of pace.
In a video from 2021, Tesla posted footage of the Semi tackling a test track, and it appeared less like a truck designed to carry heavy cargo and more like a rally car, blazing around the banked track with ease.
Semi on the track pic.twitter.com/0QCTYGbLJv
— Tesla (@Tesla) March 14, 2021
"Race car or semi hmm?" one user on X, formerly known as Twitter, said.
"I was expecting to see emissions behind it but then it clicked in my brain that it's electric," another added. "I'm just not used to seeing electric vehicles of this size and design."
I had some thoughts about how to (safely) capture some video of the Tesla Semi vs diesel semi's going up a steep grade. The average grade ascending the Donner Pass is 7% up to 16%. This is some of what I captured. #Tesla #teslasemi Tesla runs these semi's daily, fully loaded up… pic.twitter.com/eEHwc1s0DB
— Zanegler (@HinrichsZane) July 14, 2023
According to the company's website, the Semi can reach 60 miles an hour in just 20 seconds from a starting position, proving it's no slouch off the line, either.
Despite the exhibition of power, speed, and control, what most people will be interested in is the Semi's pollution-saving potential.
Tesla said the Semi requires less than two kilowatt hours of electricity per mile to function. With that, it can travel up to 500 miles on a single charge with no tailpipe pollution.
Furthermore, the Semi can charge up to 70% in just 30 minutes at appropriate charging stations, meaning truckers will not have to spend hours waiting around before continuing their journey.
PepsiCo is one of the companies to take an order of Tesla Semi trucks. A video from the North American Council for Fuel Efficiency on Vimeo has shown how the trucks are being used at the company's bottling production and distribution facility in Sacramento, California.
Dejan Antunovic, electrification program manager for PepsiCo, said of the 21 Semis it has, three are dedicated to long-haul transportation.
"The routes may vary between 250 miles up to 450 miles," Antunovic said in the video. "We have been aggressive to push the limit and demonstrate that we are able to achieve a very high range with a fully loaded tractor with that fleet."
Citing data from a 2021 Energy Technologies Area report, Climate Nexus noted trucks are responsible for 28% of transportation pollution in the United States.
That pollution contributes to global heating, so the need to find cleaner solutions to long-haul transportation is essential to help cool the planet.
Luckily, Tesla seems to be among the leading brands to be doing so — and fast.
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