Tesla Semi outperforms rivals in a real-world test

A trucking industry real-life look at the electric Tesla Semi demonstrated its initial performance advantages in range and charging efficiency compared with counterparts from established manufacturers such as Freightliner and Volvo.

A Semi operated by food and beverage giant PepsiCo Inc. traveled more miles per day on average than any other vehicle in the Run on Less event organized by the North American Council for Freight Efficiency. For more than two weeks, starting Sept. 11, the trucking research group tracked information on charging infrastructure, cost of ownership, truck performance, charge management and other metrics as 22 vehicles zigzagged across North America fulfilling actual orders.

Aside from humbling Tesla's skeptics, the event demonstrated that electric trucks can match the operations of their diesel counterparts. Drivers operating from several depots successfully used chargers throughout each day in a display that called into question strongly held convictions about the limits of trucking battery range.

"The 'aha' there for me, and I think for a lot of people, is we got caught up in this trap of thinking about range as miles per charge," said Mike Roeth, the council's executive director. Almost half of the trucks were using "second charge events" during the shifts, including Tesla.

"Why did we not get that? That's what we do with gasoline and diesel," he said.

One PepsiCo Tesla traveled 1,076 miles in a single day with three relatively brief 750-kilowatt fast charging stints that brought the battery's charge to roughly 47 percent, then 89 percent and then 52 percent. The company said 60 percent of the miles driven over the 18 days were with a gross vehicle weight, which includes freight, of more than over 70,000 pounds. That is near the 82,000-pound limit for zero-emission semi tractor-trailer combos and a weight typical of the logistics industry.

PepsiCo's Teslas also outperformed rivals for average number of miles traveled per day across the length of the Run on Less event.

"When we looked at the metrics during the run, we were very pleased with how the Semi performs," said Amanda DeVoe, director of PepsiCo's fleet transformation and strategy. "What was most meaningful is that the Semi aligned with how our business operates."

Early data indicates that "Tesla is the leader in terms of performance and range," said John Boesel, CEO of Calstart, a clean transportation industry organization. "They are also the only ones demonstrating superfast charge capability."

The Run on Less data showed the Semis can travel about 400 miles and then recharge to about 80 percent in 45 minutes.

But Tesla has only produced the Semi in small numbers and would have to ramp up production dramatically to match incumbent truckmakers. The U.S. had 184,565 Class 8 trucks registered this year as of August, according to registration data from S&P Global Mobility. Electric trucks accounted for just 1,128 of those for the same period. Diesel is still by far the dominant technology — although that is changing.

California's Advanced Clean Fleets regulation, approved in April, starts to phase out internal combustion engine trucks next year and ends combustion truck sales in 2036. Depending on their businesses, companies will have to transition to using only zero-emission trucks within the 2035-42 time frame.

How the market develops in California will influence other states. States representing more than a quarter of heavy-duty vehicle registrations have adopted or plan to follow California's latest truck emissions regulations.

It is hard for newcomers to break into the commercial trucking sector, said Oliver Dixon, a senior analyst for heavy trucks at Guidehouse Insights. The industry is replete with revolving doors across companies and shared employment histories, and long-term relationships reign supreme.

Tesla's scalable entry into the space is not impossible, though. Dixon predicted Tesla, which has been taking Semi orders, will enter the market with "a few units here, a few units there."

But "these relationships have to be built up over time, so the idea that Tesla can go from 0 to 100 miles an hour within the space of two reporting quarters is not going to happen," Dixon said.

Tesla also lacks a proven record of service, unlike Freightliner-owner Daimler Truck, North America, Volvo, Peterbilt, Kenworth and other longtime commercial truck manufacturers.

"You know the product works, and that's great," said Dixon. "The notion of everything that surrounds the product is still open to question."

PepsiCo's best-performing Tesla traveled an average of about 574 miles per day over the course of the 18 days. The next non-Tesla vehicle was WattEV's Nikola Tre BEV with an average of about 255 miles per day, followed by OK Produce's Freightliner eCascadia with an average of about 181 miles and Performance Team's best-performing Volvo VNR Electric with an average of about 175 miles.

All of the operators have different use cases for their trucks, with PepsiCo looking for longer hauls but others focused on local distribution or regional freight. The data illustrates how the different makes and models can be used but doesn't completely represent a head-to-head performance comparison. For example, the longest mileage day for one of the Semis comprised five deliveries. The longest day for WattEV's Nikola comprised 13 deliveries, and the longest day for OK Produce's eCascadia comprised 10.

The OK Produce eCascadia logged 368 miles in one day with three charging sessions to about 89 percent, 61 percent and 71 percent.

A VNR Electric operated by Performance Team, a division of Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller – Maersk, logged 336 miles in one day with two charging sessions, one to 100 percent and the other to 94.

The realization about midshift charging, especially powered by fast 750-kW chargers, raises doubts about the need for lengthy range across applications, said Dixon.

Hydrogen vehicles have also been touted as a good solution for long-range truck fleets weary of heavy battery weights and lengthy charging times. As battery charging gets faster and fleets learn to use shorter charging pit stops, that value-add is a harder sell.

"It certainly stacks things up against the hydrogen guys," said Dixon.