So far, by all, accounts, Tesla cars have lived up all the hype, or even surpassed it. The only exception is the inability to build Tesla Model 3’s in anything like the intended numbers since its July launch. So there’s every reason to believe the semi-truck could live up to Tesla’s performance and range claims.
Electric vehicles, broadly speaking, consume the same amount of energy as would be used to refine the fuel to drive an equivalent petrol or diesel vehicle a similar distance. So little or no net increase in electricity demand. As more and more of our electricity comes from renewable sources, electric vehicles will be genuinely ‘green’ and sustainable.
I think a lot of trucking fleets in USA and Canada will test the water by buying one Tesla truck to run in comparison with their diesels. That alone would account for substantial sales. It doesn’t look like it could couple to a max-lenghth trailer and be within British length limit, so I doubt if many would be sold here. I guess the big market for electric trucks is medium distance and distribution vehicles, so if Tesla can crack the long-haul sector with the semi, the rest should be easy. Well, not easy, but you know what I mean!
And as for the styling - it will have other truck manufacturers reaching for their sketchpads!