By Roger Kim
On Thursday, November 16, Tesla finally revealed its electric semi-truck. However, analysts are unsure of its impact on the commercial trucking industry. Potential buyers are concerned about its performance and efficiency, with Elon Musk claiming that the vehicle can go 500 miles at 60 miles per hour, on a full load. According to Sandeep Kar, chief strategy officer of Fleet Complete, a company that tracks truck movement, stated that around 30 percent of US trips are between 100 to 200 miles. Due to the differences between trucking and conventional driving, buyers will evaluate the vehicle differently. Tesla’s announcement of its truck raises another question about the company’s ability to produce its Model 3. “Competition is nothing new for Tesla, but they need to ensure they’re not spread too thin as they continue to launch the Model 3, arguably their most important vehicle in their short history,” Akshay Anand, a senior analyst at Kelley Blue Book, said.
Reference: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/11/17/teslas-latest-creation-an-electric-big-rig-that-can-travel-500-miles-on-a-single-charge/?utm_term=.24f9ab7974bc