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Monday 20 noveMber 2017 technology
A24

Tesla wants to electrify big trucks, adding to its ambitions

By DEE-ANN DURBIN plate right now. This could
AP Auto Writer present another distraction
DETROIT (AP) — After more from really just making sure
than a decade of making that the Model 3 is moved
cars and SUVs — and, more along effectively,” said
recently, solar panels — Bruce Clark, a senior vice
Tesla Inc. wants to electrify president and automotive
a new type of vehicle: big analyst at Moody’s.
trucks. Tesla’s semi is venturing into
The company unveiled its an uncertain market. De-
new electric semitractor- mand for electric trucks is
trailer Thursday night near expected to grow over the
its design center in Haw- next decade as the U.S.,
thorne, California. Europe and China all tight-
CEO Elon Musk said the en their emissions regula-
semi is capable of trav- tions. Electric truck sales to-
eling 500 miles (804 kilo- taled 4,100 in 2016, but are
meters) on an electric expected to grow to more
charge — even with a full than 70,000 in 2026, says
80,000-pound (36,287-kilo- This photo provided by Tesla shows the front of the new electric semitractor-trailer unveiled on Navigant Research.
gram) load — and will cost Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. But most of that growth is
less than a diesel semi con- Associated Press expected to be for smaller,
sidering fuel savings, lower Tesla units in its Walmart following each other. pany. Tesla is way behind medium-duty haulers like
maintenance and other U.S. division and 10 units at Musk said Tesla plans a on production of the Mod- garbage trucks or deliv-
factors. Musk said custom- Walmart Canada. Midwest worldwide network of solar- el 3, a new lower-cost se- ery vans. Those trucks can
ers can put down a $5,000 retailer Meijer said it has powered “megachargers” dan, with some customers have a more limited range
deposit for the semi now reserved four trucks. And that could get the trucks facing waits of 18 months of 100 miles (160 kilometers)
and production will begin Arkansas trucking com- back up to 400 miles of or more. It’s also ramp- or less, which requires fewer
in 2019. pany J.B. Hunt said it has range after charging for ing up production of solar expensive batteries. They
“We’re confident that this reserved “multiple” trac- only 30 minutes. panels after buying Solar can also be fully charged
is a product that’s better in tors that it will deploy on The move fits with Musk’s City Corp. last year. Tesla is overnight.
every way from a feature the West Coast but didn’t stated goal for the compa- working on a pickup truck Long-haul semi trucks, on
standpoint,” Musk told a specify how many. ny of accelerating the shift and a lower-cost SUV and the other hand, would be
crowd of Tesla fans gath- The truck will have Tesla’s to sustainable transporta- negotiating a new factory expected to go greater
ered for the unveiling. Musk Autopilot system, which tion. Trucks account for in China. Meanwhile, the distances, and that would
didn’t reveal the semi’s can maintain a set speed nearly a quarter of trans- company posted a record be challenging. Right now,
price. and slow down automati- portation-related green- quarterly loss of $619 million there’s little charging infra-
Even so, the company al- cally in traffic. It also has a house gas emissions in the in its most recent quarter. structure on global high-
ready is starting to get or- system that automatically U.S., according to govern- On Thursday night, Tesla ways. Without Tesla’s prom-
ders. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., keeps the vehicle in its lane. ment statistics. surprised fans with another ised fast-charging, even a
the world’s largest retailer, Musk said several Tesla But the semi also piles on product: An updated ver- mid-sized truck would likely
said in a statement Friday semis will be able to travel more chaos at the Palo sion of its first sports car, require a two-hour stop,
that it has pre-ordered five in a convoy, autonomously Alto, California-based com- the Roadster. Tesla says cutting into companies’
the new Roadster will have efficiency and profits, says
VW to spend $40B on electric 620 miles of range and a Brian Irwin, managing di-
rector of the North Ameri-
top speed of 250 mph (402
can industrial group for the
cars, technology through 2022 kph). The car, coming in consulting firm Accenture.
2020, will have a base price
Irwin says truck compa-
of $200,000.
Musk, too, is being pulled in nies will have to watch the
BERLIN (AP) — Volkswagen board discussed the com- saying its brands would in- many directions. He leads market carefully, because
says it plans to spend more pany’s plans for the 2018- troduce 80 new electric rocket maker SpaceX and tougher regulations on
than 34 billion euros ($40 2022 period. It said most vehicles by 2025. By 2030, it is dabbling in other proj- diesels or an improvement
billion) over the next five of the money will go into plans to offer at least one ects, including high-speed in charging infrastructure
years on developing elec- the electrification and hy- electric variant of each of transit, artificial intelligence could make electric trucks
tric cars, autonomous driv- bridization of all its brands’ its roughly 300 models. The research and a new com- more viable very quickly.
ing and other new technol- models. group includes carmakers pany that’s digging tunnels Falling battery costs also
ogies. The German auto- Volkswagen in September such as Audi, Porsche, Seat beneath Los Angeles to al- will help make electric
maker released the figure announced a long-term and Skoda as well as the leviate traffic congestion. trucks more appealing
Friday after its supervisory electrification campaign, core Volkswagen brand.q “He’s got so much on his compared to diesels. q