Although California garners the majority of electronification headlines, a forward-thinking Florida organization is going all-in on Tesla Semi Trucks.
“We believe that we could get our first of 50 trucks by July of 2023,” EV Semi-Fleet CEO Jake Guerra reportedly said. “We see the EV revolution happening here. There are Teslas all around us right now, where years ago the only place you would see one was on the West Coast. Now it’s more of a nationwide movement.”
The EV Semi-Fleet startup reportedly raised $1.1 million and garnered 50 reservations for Tesla Semis designated for ports such as Tampa and Jacksonville. The Class 8 electric trucks enjoy a freight hauling distance of 300 or 500 miles, depending on the model. That could make them a perfect fit to haul goods and materials the 65 miles from Tampa or 165 miles from Jacksonville to Disney World. Given that many state routes run under 250 miles, battery-electric commercial motor vehicles could prove effective.
Results from a National Renewable Energy Laboratory study indicate that electric vehicles are expected to provide a lower total cost of ownership when compared to diesel and gasoline-powered trucks by 2025.
“Spatial and Temporal Analysis of the Total Cost of Ownership for Class 8 Tractors and Class 4 Parcel Delivery Trucks compares six leading powertrain technologies to quantify the TCO of different truck options and identify operating scenarios where each technology may have an economic advantage,” according to the Office of Energy and Renewable Energy. “The powertrains analyzed include conventional diesel, diesel hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric, compressed natural gas, fuel cell electric, and battery all-electric.”
The study also highlighted that electric rigs are best suited for short-range freight hauls and deliveries with low dwell time. Members of the three-person startup show the visionary leadership needed to plan critical next steps. Guerra is already talking about the practical steps of Sunshine State Tesla Semis moving loads to the West Coast.
“We could get from Miami to Southern California with a total of seven charging stations, and only a charge time of 30 minutes each,” Guerra reportedly said.
The three members of the Orlando-based EV Semi-Fleet have been diligently working to broker deals and raise revenue to fund more Texas-built Tesla Semi Trucks. Co-founder Thomas Licata possesses 10 years of experience in freight brokerage. Thomas O’Hanlon ranks as the lead investor and serves as a technology guru. Beyond transitioning the industry from fossil fuels to zero-emission tractor-trailers, Guerra touts the Tesla brand for quality, battery capacity, and reducing the physical impact of hauling freight.
“Range is a big one. Plus, Tesla does two things: they deliver a quality build, and once they get to production, it really ramps up quickly,” Guerra reportedly said.
The release of Tesla Semi Trucks was scheduled for 2019 and has suffered several delays. Pre-orders were expected to be filled by the end of 2022 but may get pushed into 2023. Musk’s Tesla passenger vehicles experienced similar delivery issues before emerging as an industry-leading and iconic brand.
Sources: electrek.co, ccjdigital.com
Yes it all sounds great and is most definitely the way forward….. until the likes of Flying J get involved with the charging stations and make it unaffordable!!