The Tesla Semi, the automaker’s all-electric transport truck, will retail starting at $150,000 for a version with 300 miles of range, and will also be available in a $180,000 version with 500 miles of range. Interested parties can pre-order them with a base reservation price of $20,000 – or, if they want a “Founders Series,” they can get one for $200,000, with the entire balance due for a reservation to be among the first in line to get one of the initial 1,000 production Semis.
This pricing, newly revealed via the Tesla website, is actually incredibly competitive when measured against diesel truck costs. Entry level diesel trucks star at around $100,000, and Tesla promises cost saving of upwards of $200,000 over the life of the truck, based on fuel consumption and electricity vs. diesel costs.
Tesla also touts its Semi’s performance benefits, including a 20 second 0 to 60 mph time with an 80,000 lb load attached, and the ability to drive up a 5% grade at 65 mph, which is much faster than is possible in a diesel equivalent towing the same load. The Semi also boasts industry-leading safety fealties, according to Tesla, including a total inability to jackknife, enhanced Autopiilot features and glass that’s designed to resist even the most serious impacts.
These are base prices, so additional features or packages could increase the final purchase cost, but we don’t yet know the configuration options that Tesla will offer on the vehicle, which is targeting an initial release timeframe of sometime in 2019.
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