In cooperation with industrial and transport designer Jeremy Dodd, Tesla released the design for its first prototype of the Autonomous E-Rig Semi. Its Tesla-worthy aesthetics highlighted by the contoured yet sharp design language looks like something straight out of a sci-fi movie.
Scheduled for production in 2022, four independent motors on the rear power Tesla’s visionary Semi all-electric truck. The semi is touted to be the safest, most comfortable truck with an acceleration of 0-60 mph in just 20 seconds and a range of 300-500 miles.
Tesla’s concept identifies the fundamental problem with HGVs that have an average speed of 50 mph and have to drive for virtually 9 hours of the day, five days a week.
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This creates an environmental impact, and a pure, purposeful, and functional method of hauling heavy goods is the need of the hour. This Autonomous trailer, in a way, is destined to solve this with even more to make it highly useful.
The driving cockpit’s top and the bay of the trailer are solar powered to charge the battery reserve on the go. The HGV has an extendable extension to adapt to the client’s needs, geographic location, and nature of the cargo to be hauled.
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Further, the regenerative braking system recycles energy from the wheels to the turbines to add to the power reserve.
Tesla Autonomous E-Rig is designed keeping in mind the future of transportation – as the road space is going to get even more cramped. That’s why it has a zero turning radius on all the wheels to make sharp turns or maneuver around in tight spaces without much hassle.
There’s just one shortcoming, though; it can only haul its cargo on top of the trailer, and adding the option to have an enclosed rig will increase its utility ten folds.