The Tesla Semi has been spotted again, this time outside the company’s Gigafactory. The all-electric truck is set to roll out onto roads next year, and its sleek design has been spotted with increasing frequency as Tesla demonstrates that electrification is viable for the trucking industry.
The truck has the potential to revolutionize the industry, and Tesla has been keen to put it through its paces to make sure it’s up to the challenge. The Reddit user called “Roriah” that uploaded it to the Reddit page claims that the car was parked outside over the course of two days. The truck’s sleek design has resulted in a drag coefficient of 0.36, lower than the Bugatti Chiron’s coefficient of 0.38. While this measurement doesn’t factor in other elements like surface area that can increase the force of drag, it does highlight the company’s efforts to ensure the giant electric machine can slice through the air with as much ease as possible.
See more: The Tesla Semi’s Mysterious Road Trip Has Been Spotted Again in Colorado
The sighting follows a cross-country trip for the truck back in August, with CEO Elon Musk touting the fact that it needed no support vehicles — although it did require a 1,000 foot extension cord to plug the gaps between its high-powered superchargers, as the “megachargers” set to provide power every 400 miles in the United States have yet to start construction.
Tesla plans to offer the truck in two configurations. The first will have a range of 300 miles and cost $150,000, while the second will have a range of 500 miles and cost $180,000. An average diesel semi truck costs around $120,000, meaning the trucks are competitive in the marketplace. It consumes less than two kilowatt-hours per mile, and it achieves acceleration times of 0 to 60 mph in 20 seconds with 80,000 pounds of load.
Expect more details about Tesla’s trucking foray closer to its launch next year, during which the firm is also expected to unveil its Model Y entry-level sports utility vehicle.
The truck has already attracted some big name customers, with logistics firm J. B. Hunt placing a pre-order.
