
Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, unveiled the Tesla Semi and a new model of the Tesla Roadster
American automaker, Tesla Inc., aims for its new semi-truck, Tesla Semi, to rock the trucking industry. Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, revealed on Thursday the prototype for a battery-powered, almost autonomous semi truck. The automobile will forgo the use of diesel fuels, thus lowering operational costs. Musk, however, didn’t decide to stop there as the semi-truck opened its trailer and another treat surprised the crowd. A new version of Tesla Inc.’s Roadster sports car was debuted as well.
Tesla Inc.’s new Roadster model is a four-seat sports car with a removable roof. The CEO said the Roadster can travel 620 miles on a single charge which beats any electric vehicle currently on the market. It can go from 0 to 60 mph (100 kmph) in 1.9 seconds with a maximum speed of 250 mph.
„You’ll be able to travel from LA to San Francisco, and back, at highway speed without recharging” Musk pointed out. He also said their new car aims to dethrone gasoline cars calling the move „a hardcore smackdown.”
The Tesla Semi is no small feat either, the truck being able to drive five hundred miles in a single charge, according to Musk. It can also go from zero to 60 mph in five seconds without traction, and in twenty seconds when carrying a load of eighty thousand pounds.
The two vehicles debuted to a crowd of more than two thousand people. Some analysts, however, saw past Musk’s showmanship and started debating whether the products will be part of a sustainable business plan.
„So far the final element has eluded Tesla Motors, which makes it difficult to see these vehicles as more than ‚what if’ concept cars” stated Karl Brauer, executive publisher of Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader.
While Musk said the first one thousand cars will cost $250 thousand each, he didn’t give a price for the Tesla Semi nor where either product will be built.
Production for the Semi Tesla will begin in 2019 while the Roadster will follow a year later.
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