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The first interior shots of the hotly anticipated Tesla Semi truck have surfaced online, revealing an unorthodox and very Tesla-esque approach to commercial trucking as we know it.
Reddit user rygel_fievel climbed inside the Tesla Semi during a display in Sacramento, California, where Tesla was showcasing the truck as part of a technological and clean transportation event. According to another user who says they were at the event, a Tesla official “yelled at” them for attempting to take their own photos of the truck’s interior. However, it remains unclear if this person was authorized to climb inside the truck or not.
Interior features include a Tesla T-shaped steering wheel akin to those used in its other products, a large offset infotainment screen similar to the Model 3’s, and a Semi-specific functions monitor. Displayed on this screen (left) is the status of the truck’s pneumatic brake system, whether or not the trailer is using compressed air, and also the state of the parking brake. It is speculated that this parking brake is controlled by a tiny third pedal, barely visible in one of the un-cropped interior shots.
No CB radio—popular with truckers—is visible from the photos, though that does not preclude the Tesla Semi from having one, as it may be mounted overhead instead of on the truck’s minimalist dashboard.
Based on the stained seat, heavy smudging on the gloss-back armrest, and the presence of two thermoses, this Tesla Semi prototype is undergoing heavy testing to guarantee its commercial readiness before production launches. Tesla originally planned to commence the Semi’s production later this year with the goal of reaching 100,000 units produced annually by 2023, but Tesla’s long history of delays means some speculate the vehicle won’t reach production until 2020.
When the Tesla Semi does launch, the automaker believes that the truck may have a maximum range approaching 600 miles. Fully-laden with its 80,000-pound maximum load, Tesla says the Semi will be able to hit highway speeds in about 20 seconds, and unladen, in about five. Based on footage of the Tesla Semi doing a rolling peel-out, those numbers sound pretty believable.
h/t: Teslarati
