Tesla’s all-electric Class 8 truck, Tesla Semi, outperformed its competitors, including Volvo, and showcased its range and charging efficiency at the recent “Run on Less” event organised by the North American Council for Freight Efficiency.
In an 18-day evaluation, starting September 11, the organisation assessed the values of 22 electric freight-hauling tractors driven across North America. The assessment measured the trucks’ performance in various aspects, including charging, range, efficiency, and cost of ownership.
The Tesla Semi emerged as the top performer, consistently demonstrating superior capabilities. The data collected during the event revealed Tesla Semi’s range to be an estimated 400 miles, while its rapid charging capability is able to fill 80 percent in just 45 minutes. The model averaged a daily mileage of 92 miles, outshining its competitors, Volvo, Nikola, BYD, and Freightliner.
This performance was likely aided by the focused approach to long-distance distribution of PepsiCo, which has a fleet of Semis operating in Northern California. PepsiCo’s best-performing fleet covered about 547 miles per day during the test.
The most mileage covered by one of its drivers is 1,076 miles in a single day, with just three fast-charging stints at 750-kilowatt charging stops, even while hauling over 70,000 pounds of cargo. This weight falls within the range typical for logistics industry vehicles and closely approaches the 82,000-pound weight limit for zero-emission semi-trailer combinations.
WattEV’s Nikola Tre BEV is the runner-up, with an average mileage of about 255 miles per day. OK Produce’s Freightliner eCascadia with an average of about 181 miles, and Performance Team’s Volvo VNR Electric with an average of about 175 miles.
While Tesla Semi made fewer stops, its competitors opted for a more frequent regional delivery approach. For instance, the Tesla Semi’s longest mileage day involved only five stops, contrasting sharply with the Nikola’s 13 deliveries and one of the eCascadias’ 10 deliveries.
Key Takeaways
Industry publication InsideEVs pointed out a crucial point from the tests: electric trucks demonstrated capability matching diesel counterparts in operations.
Drivers at various depots effectively utilised chargers throughout the day, dispelling myths regarding battery range in trucking. Nearly half of the trucks, including Tesla, used “second charge events” during their shifts.
This success highlights the growing importance of charging infrastructure for electric trucks. With battery technology rapidly advancing and charging speeds increasing, concerns about range anxiety are gradually diminishing. This increase in battery production will be crucial in raising the widespread adoption of electric trucks.
This is further supported by the projected growth of European battery production, which is expected to reach 773 GWh in 2030, up from 69 GWh in 2022. The potential battery production in Europe could be even more significant, reaching 286 GWh in 2025, 616 GWh in 2027 and 1,395 GWh in 2030 if all projects go as planned.
European battery manufacturers, led by the Volkswagen Group, Northvolt, Freyr, ACC, and CATL, are projected to produce around 58 percent of the batteries consumed in Europe by 2030, outpacing Chinese firms’ anticipated 22 percent share.
The event also highlighted the potential of fast charging as an alternative to extended range for electric trucks.
This aligns with the new regulations from the EU that require charging stations for heavy-duty EVs with a minimum 350kW capacity every 60 km along the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) core and every 100 km along the wider network starting in 2025.
It bears mentioning that the same regulations also required that by 2030, every major city must have charging hubs, and four charging stations will be required in each designated “safe and secure truck parking area”.
With the availability of ultra-fast 750kW chargers at depots, smaller and more affordable batteries may be sufficient for shorter regional hauls. This could significantly reduce the upfront cost for smaller trucking companies, saving them tens of thousands of dollars.
Stepping Up Production
Tesla Semi demonstrated an impressive performance in the event, but the company reportedly still needs to ramp up production to meet present demands. According to Tesla’s Senior Manager of Semi-Truck Engineering, Dan Priestley, only 60-70 Semi trucks have been produced per October.
Volvo Cars, meanwhile, recently announced a fresh deal with Idra Group, an Italian high-pressure die-casting company, earlier this month. The agreement allows Idra Group to implement two 9,000-ton Giga Press machines at a Volvo factory in Slovakia. The machinery can facilitate the creation of complex and lightweight vehicle parts while saving energy and reducing waste in the production process.
The company aims to use the Giga Presses in its $1.2 billion Slovakian factory to assist it in achieving full electrification by the decade’s end and climate neutrality by 2040. The facility can produce 250,000 vehicles annually.
Volvo plans to set up production lines at the plant next year and start manufacturing electric vehicles in 2026.
Industry Frontrunners
In terms of reliability and service in the trucking industry, Freightliner and Volvo have once again proven as frontrunners with recent sales records. According to a recent report from Wards Intelligence, sales increased for five out of seven U.S. truck manufacturers, including Daimler and Volvo Group.
Daimler Truck North America’s Freightliner brand led the market share, selling 8,158 trucks, representing 34.9 percent of total sales, compared to 9,783 sold the previous year.
Mack Trucks experienced a slight 0.3 percent increase in sales, reaching 1,598 from 1,594, while Volvo Trucks North America faced a 5 percent sales decline year-over-year, dropping to 2,130 from 2,243. Both are brands of the Volvo Group.
In Europe, data from the International Council on Clean Transportation showed that in 2022, the Volvo Group, which includes Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks, contributed approximately 55 percent of electric trucks on EU roads.
The Traton group, with its Scania brand, secured around a quarter of the market, displaying significant growth compared to 2021.