The Tesla Semi has just been filmed flying past a couple of diesel trucks on an uphill, winding highway.
The keen-eyed videographer posted the footage to Twitter this week, explaining it was shot on an uphill section of the Donner Pass in California.
And if you’re a bit skeptical, assuming the Semi is empty while the diesel trucks are fully loaded, you’re not alone.
Assuming people would say that, the poster got ahead of the game and described the Semi as “fully loaded”.
“Tesla runs these semis daily, fully loaded up this grade and on other routes to uncover any issues and remediate them before they begin volume delivery,” he said.
A Tesla Semi test driver backed this up too.
“Believe me when I tell you that the trailer is loaded,” he said.
But naturally, not everyone was happy to take his word for it.
“You factually don’t know the weight or density of the cargo, so don’t make fully loaded claims,” one man said.
The original poster describes himself as a “notorious Tesla semi stalker” and has gained a fair following on Twitter.
He seems to know a lot about the EV and the way it’s being tested in the lead-up to its official release too.
“What’s the longevity of the Semi though? Because if it’s gas or electric, that puts a hard workload on the gears and mechanical components of the truck,” one guy asked.
Zanegler responded, saying “this is exactly why they are running multiple trucks, two shifts a day… they are trying to see what, if any components or systems fail”.
“Then they will remediate as needed,” he said.
In response to the Semi flying up the road, one truck driver reminded him it wasn’t a race.
“Dude we are not here to speed and win the race, we are here to drive and take our freight safe and on time,” they said.
Elon Musk’s Tesla is promoting the Semi as “the future of trucking”, but we’ll hold our judgment for when, and if, it’s ever actually released.
About the Tesla Semi
The Semi will be able to go from 0-60mph in 20 seconds and will have a range of 500 miles when fully loaded.
What’s fully loaded? Tesla says the electric truck will have a load capacity of up to 82,000 pounds. (37,000kg).
If you’re looking to get your hands on one, expect to pay around $250,000 per unit.
