The first Tesla Semi electric trucks have entered service at Pepsi. Strange statement about their range

The first Tesla Semi electric trucks have gone into service, at the PepsiCo giant, and their performance doesn’t seem to be exactly extraordinary. The company uses 36 vehicles in the US, 15 in Modesto and 21 in Sacramento.

Mike O’Connell, vice president of PepsiCo spoke in an interview with Reuters about the vehicles, especially the most interesting part, their autonomy.

“PepsiCo’s new Semi’s can haul Frito-Lay food products (chips, snacks, etc.) about 684 miles, but for heavier loads, the trucks will make shorter runs of 100 miles,” he said.

From his statement it appears that when trucks carry very heavy weights (such as soft drinks), their range drops substantially.

Critics of the long-haul electric truck, including Bill Gates, have always said that weight would be a problem for them. The Microsoft co-founder has said that battery-powered “trucks” are “not a practical solution” even if their prices drop significantly.

Gates says batteries are big and heavy. The more distance you want to travel and carry more cargo, the more batteries you need, and the heavier the vehicle gets. For example, in Europe the maximum weight a truck can carry with a full load is 40 tonnes.

“Electricity works when you need to cover short distances, but we need a different solution for large vehicles that cover long distances,” he wrote.

Tesla has claimed that Semi models can achieve a range of more than 500 miles at a total truck weight of 37 tons.

There are other controversies surrounding Tesla trucks. The vehicles are not exactly to the liking of professional drivers. Some have criticized the manufacturer’s decision to mount the driver’s seat in the middle of the cab.