Tesla unveiled its first Semi-truck and a second generation Roadster all-electric big rig at SpaceX’s Hawthorne, California headquarters just last week. Elon Musk has disrupted the transportation and logistics industry with his revolutionary sci-fi toy which rolls into reality and shows off his most significant reverie yet, in his broader pursuit of building a sustainable energy economy.
Massive battery powers the fully integrated electric Tesla Semi with the capability of hauling 80,000 pounds, it can ramble 500-mile range between charges. It has four independent motors with a standard fifth-wheel which can pull any size trailer. In North America, the Tesla Semi is allowed to pull a trailer as long as 53 feet and can achieve 0-60mph in five seconds.
Tesla Semi has a centered driver position for optimal visibility and Tesla “Armor glass” which is reinforced impact resistant glass. Musk guarantees the truck won’t break-down for one million miles. Tesla Semi is outfitted with enhanced Auto-pilot features, an advanced driver assistance system, automatic lane keeping, automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning and delivers a substantial reduction in the cost of the cargo transport with 20% more efficient than a diesel truck.
The Autopilot uses sensors, radar, cameras, and software to provide several enhanced driver assistance features when combined provides a “Semi-Autonomous” capabilities which ensures increased safety and makes the Tesla Semi fun to operate. The Tesla Semi represents a notable milestone with Musk envisioning to make it a fully automated with truck platooning. This break-through by Musk has created Tesla to gear up against fierce competition with other companies who are trying develop electric semi trucks. However, Tesla’s potential rivals will be big guys which include, Toyota, Bosch, GM, Daimler, Cummins, etc. who have pilots running to test the viability of electrifying the commercial trucks.
In my opinion, this break-through has caused a lot of havoc for existing automakers to hasten up their developments and to keep up with the disruption it will bring in the world of transportation and logistics Industries. In fact, you can refer to my earlier article on IoT and Logistics 4.0 in which I have mentioned the evolution of “Truck Platooning” and other trends which will be possible only due to the advent of IoT technologies. Musk has also highlighted the adoption of predictive maintenance technology for the preventive maintenance of the vehicles. This, in turn, increases the overall efficiency and productivity of an individual and the organization.
Musk’s vision to create a sustainable congestion free energy economy Tesla is trying to dig a hole under LA, and this is to create the beginning of what will be a 3D network of tunnels to alleviate congestion,” Musk says, describing the work of his new project, The Boring Company. Musk shows a video of what this system could look like, with an electric car-skate attached to an elevator from street level that brings your car vertically underground into a tunnel. There’s no speed limit in the tunnel — and the car-skates are being designed to achieve speeds of 200 km/h or about 130 mph. “You should be able to get from Westwood to LAX in 5-6 minutes,”.
In a joint press release between Singapore Ministry of Transportation (MOT) and Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) has signed agreements with two automotive companies, Scania and Toyota Tsusho, to design, develop and test-bed an autonomous truck platooning system for use on Singapore’s public roads. With this, Singapore moves another step closer towards autonomous freight transports and co-fund the truck-platooning projects.
To summarize, the future of logistics and transportation Industry will be self-orchestrated, and Autonomous vehicles will be the transformation which the Industry will be witnessing very soon in the developed nations in comparison to the developing countries.
