Tesla Semi matches diesel trucks in testing as it logs efficient 1.55 kWh/mile consumption

The Tesla Semi electric truck has been put to the test as a fleet vehicle across regular freight routes and has passed with flying colors. Transportation company ArcBest says that the average energy consumption of the Class 8 electric truck during the 3-week road tests was 1.55 kWh per mile, while the routes were deliberately scheduled on varous challenging terrains.

This includes the famed Donner mountain pass, a challenging uphill route where the Tesla Semi performed on par with diesel trucks. This is not the first Donner Pass rodeo of the Tesla Semi, too, as it has been filmed overtaking diesel rigs there already.

The incline in this 7,000+ feet mountain pass in Sierra Nevada starts at 7%, and diesel trucks are usually only able to climb at sub-50 mph speeds, so right-hand lanes have been built for slower trucks in steeper areas. 

The typical semi has a 6-cylinder engine outputting about 600 HP with 1850 pounds of torque, while Tesla claims that its Semi is 3x more powerful than a diesel truck, making overtakes of another rig an option, even at such a long and steep incline like Donner Pass.

The freight company tested Tesla's Semi for 4,494 miles and was able to cover 321 miles per day, consuming 1.55 kWh of battery capacity per mile on average. For Tesla's electric truck to be considered for a fleet material, however, "it must meet or exceed the performance and total cost of ownership targets of our most efficient diesel units," said the company's president.

It did, and the drivers were happy with the cabin comfort, safety, visibility, and the intuitive operation. The only thing that gave ArcBest a pause during the Tesla Semi trial is the charging infrastructure.

Tesla currently has more than 40 Semi charging stations under construction along key freight routes in the US, and the rollout of its V4 Superchargers will expand the fast charging network. Tesla's latest Supercharger pile generation if capable of charging speeds over 1 MW that are suitable for the Semi, and its footprint and design efficiency allows for a much faster adoption.

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