Tesla is expanding its European line-up, with the all-electric Semi truck on its way to this side of the Atlantic.
Set to make its European debut in September at the IAA Transportation show in Hannover, Germany, the Tesla Semi is the EV brand’s take on traditional American semi-trucks. The original concept was revealed a decade ago, and has only just entered mass production in the US.
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Tesla will reveal full European specs in Hannover, but for now we know that the Semi is offered in both Standard and Long Range forms in North America.
Standard Range trucks utilise a huge 548kWh battery to return up to 300 miles on a single charge, but that pales in comparison to the 822kWh Long Range model which, according to Tesla, is capable of 500 miles before needing to be plugged in. Three rear-mounted electric motors produce 1,073bhp, and the model can tow up to 37 tonnes.
A 1,000-volt electric architecture allows for ultra-fast charging of up to 1.2 megawatts (1,200kW). This enables drivers to add 60 per cent to the battery in under half an hour, although reaching peak speeds requires one of Tesla’s own Megachargers. Similar to BYD’s Flash charging system, Tesla’s Megachargers sit alongside huge Megapack batteries, which ease strain on the electricity grid.
