Many questions regarding Tesla's much-anticipated electric truck are due to be answered this Thursday night at a press event in California.  Photo: Tesla

Many questions regarding Tesla's much-anticipated electric truck are due to be answered this Thursday night at a press event in California. Photo: Tesla

This week Tesla will officially (and finally) unveil its much-anticipated electric truck in Hawthorne, California.

And Tesla CEO Elon Musk is certainly not tamping down expectations, tweeting over the weekend that the upcoming truck would “blow minds out of their skulls” when it is unveiled this Thursday evening at 8 p.m. PST.

"Tesla Semi Truck unveil to be webcast live on Thursday at 8pm! This will blow your mind clear out of your skull and into an alternate dimension," tweeted Musk on Nov. 12.

Last month, Tesla delayed the launch of its new truck, due to the company’s need to focus on Model 3 sedan production issues and Musk’s desire to help restore and modernize Puerto Rico’s power grid in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.

Musk also generated headlines in August when he indicated on Twitter that the new truck would likely be a medium-duty model with a daily range of 200 to 300 miles, and that it would debut with autonomous driving technology already in place.

The following month, speculation arose that Tesla would try a technological end run around the size, weight and range limitations of current battery technology by offering the truck with some sort of quick-change battery pack system. These reports came after it was revealed Tesla filed a patent application in May for a system that can elevate a vehicle and replace a depleted battery pack with a fresh one. The patent says at least one technician would monitor the machine, which could be installed at remote locations along highways between cities and would be able to complete a battery swap job in under 15 minutes.

These, and many other questions, stand to be answered this Thursday night when the wraps finally come off the Tesla truck. The entire world will likely be watching to see how one of this age’s most high-profile inventors leverages emerging technology to move trucking forward into the 21st century.

Originally posted on Automotive Fleet

About the author
Jack Roberts

Jack Roberts

Executive Editor

Jack Roberts is known for reporting on advanced technology, such as intelligent drivetrains and autonomous vehicles. A commercial driver’s license holder, he also does test drives of new equipment and covers topics such as maintenance, fuel economy, vocational and medium-duty trucks and tires.

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