Why Tesla Matters – Beyond the Electric Powertrain
The long wait is over and the all-electric Tesla Semi is here for all the world to see. Expect predictions over the next few days as to its future: Will it be a disrupter? Or a dud?
For now, it’s obvious that electric trucks won’t make massive inroads into North American fleet operations in the immediate future. So maybe your inclination is to dismiss the Tesla truck as a high-tech oddball that doesn’t affect you or your business.
But I’m going to argue that powertrain aside, the Tesla truck is a glimpse of the future of trucking and will be a game-changer for trucks very soon.
About 10 years ago, General Motors was kind enough to supply me with a rotating fleet of editorial demonstrator vehicles to drive, evaluate and write about. This was at a time when the first GPS, infotainment centers and other real-time driver tools were coming on line. It was really stunning technology at the time, and I remember crowding friends inside the vehicles so they could see and play with the navigation screens and other features.
Over the summer, I bought myself a new-to-me car — a sweet little ride that is about a year old. This little car is also loaded with the latest suite of automotive driver aids — which are almost identical to the systems I first encountered a decade ago.
Those systems, which were mind-blowing at the time, are pretty much no big deal today. In fact, they’re clunky to use, hard to see, and impossible to manipulate safely while driving the car.
Compare and contrast my newish car driver aids with the systems in the new Tesla truck, however, and you suddenly realize how woefully far behind auto makers — and yes, truck OEMs — are in terms of integrating new driver assistance technology with a …Read the rest of this story
