In an exciting development for electric commercial vehicles, the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) has initiated its Run On Less program, which includes the evaluation of multiple Class 8 haulers, among them the highly anticipated Tesla Semi. After almost ten months since Tesla delivered its first Semi to PepsiCo in December 2022, the initial results from the independent real-world testing are finally emerging.
PepsiCo’s Sacramento, California, depot serves as the testing ground for this groundbreaking program, housing a fleet of 21 Tesla Semis alongside other commercial electric vehicles. PepsiCo has assigned these Tesla Semis a range of tasks, encompassing both short-haul and long-haul delivery routes. While most of the fleet typically covers distances of under 100 miles, three Tesla Semis are being put to the test, covering up to 450 miles in a single trip—an achievable feat, considering Tesla’s estimated range of 500 miles on a single charge.
NACFE has laid out the parameters for the Tesla Semi testing, stating that “the Tesla Semis will be tracked in heavy-load long-haul transport operations.” The participant profiles indicate that these trucks will navigate two distinct routes around Sacramento over an 18-day period. The first route spans between 250 and 450 miles, with a payload capacity of up to 82,000 pounds. Meanwhile, the second route averages less than 75 miles per day of driving and involves a “heavy leaving, diminishing load” scenario.
On the first day of testing, one of the Tesla Semis demonstrated remarkable performance by covering 335 miles on a single charge, leaving around 17 percent of the battery’s state of charge (SoC) remaining. Notably, this operation was conducted on the highway at consistent speeds of 62 mph. The second Semi achieved an impressive 295 miles of range before requiring recharging, with the SoC at around 21 percent. Perhaps the most remarkable performance came from a third Semi, which managed to deliver a 377-mile range before its battery dipped to under two percent.
These early insights into the real-world capabilities of the Tesla Semi offer a glimpse into the future of electric commercial transportation. The results highlight the potential for electric heavy-duty vehicles to perform admirably, even in demanding long-haul scenarios. As the Run On Less program continues, it promises to provide further valuable data on the feasibility and efficiency of electric commercial fleets, potentially paving the way for a sustainable and eco-friendly future in the transportation industry.
