Autonomous – Page 2587 – I wish I had more to offer

VW in talks to buy stake in Ford’s Argo unit, to develop pickup truck

A Volkswagen logo is seen on a new car model at the 89th Geneva International Motor Show in Geneva, Switzerland March 5, 2019. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse HANNOVER (Reuters) – Volkswagen has signed a deal to develop a pick-up truck with U.S. rival Ford and may extend its alliance to include autonomous driving and mobility services, the… Continue reading VW in talks to buy stake in Ford’s Argo unit, to develop pickup truck

Tesla Hints At Semi Sales In China

Invest
Electric Cars
Electric Car Benefits
Electric Car Sales
Solar Energy Rocks
RSS
Advertise
Privacy Policy

Autonomous Vehicles

Published on March 21st, 2019 |

by Jennifer Sensiba

Tesla Hints At Semi Sales In China

Twitter
LinkedIn
Facebook

March 21st, 2019 by Jennifer Sensiba

During the recent unveiling of the Tesla Model Y, Elon Musk discussed the future Shanghai Gigafactory (Gigafactory 3). The Tesla Semi appears in renditions of the future factory. Was that just for illustration, or would the Tesla Semi be a good truck for the Chinese market?

The image above shows the Tesla Semis in the rendition of the Gigafactory. It took some zooming in and minor sharpening, but with their distinctive faces, the Semis are hard to mistake for other trucks. On the one hand, it could be possible that the Semis were included just for illustration and decoration, but the Chinese market might be a good fit for the Semi. It’s likely that Tesla would also sell the truck in that market. It certainly seems as though Tesla is planning to use the Semi for its own shipping needs. Indeed, Jerome Guillen, President of Automotive and head of the Semi program since the beginning, recently told CleanTechnica that Tesla was excited to use the truck first for company logistics.

Chinese Trucking Is Booming
Forbes explains just how powerful the industry is in China. It’s growing, and there are definitely growing pains. The market for medium- and heavy-duty trucks is over four times larger than in the United States. China’s economy is almost indescribably huge, and the inland areas being served by trucks is where much of the growth is.

This growth has, until recently, mostly been a local issue. Local truck builders serve local truckers, who make runs from their local area to and from larger manufacturing centers. The growth of e-commerce fuels growth in outlying areas, increasing the need for long-haul trucking. Now, Uber-like websites and apps are enabling independent truckers to find loads more effectively.

There is a broad variety of manufacturers with varying truck types available for sale.

The Chinese Government Is Responding To Environmental Issues
Look toward the edges of nearly any Chinese city, and you’ll find large parking lots filled with idling trucks, waiting for loads. The Chinese government is concerned about not only the congestion, but the emissions, which can be downright disgusting near larger lots.

In response, government officials are cracking down on overloaded trucks and requiring the purchase of newer, lower emission trucks to help reduce the issues. This may be a great opening for a Tesla Semi, but competition in that space will be stiff. BYD, already dominating the electric bus market inside and outside of China, is gearing up to be a big player.

It’s likely that the government will push for electrification of cargo trucking as part of its push to get rid of internal combustion sales entirely by 2040.

Lower Operating Costs Are Important
Despite arrests and crackdowns, Chinese truckers are protesting on and off. Driving trucks can be an incredibly difficult way to make a living in China. Work hours aren’t heavily regulated the way they are in the United States and other countries, and to make ends meet, some drivers are working for 24 hours and only sleeping for 4 hours. American semi trucks, with relatively large sleepers, are downright luxurious compared to the trucks Chinese drivers are using.

Between fuel costs, payments on trucks that had to be replaced, and stricter enforcement against overloading, truckers are taking home less and less. Many share small apartments with others in larger cities, and still don’t have enough to send home to cover the family’s bills.

A truck like the Tesla Semi could be a good fit here. Payments would be higher, but lower maintenance costs, lower fuel costs, and better safety systems could make a big difference. Enhanced Autopilot will not only help tired drivers stay in their lane and avoid collisions, but it would also safely bring the vehicle to a stop in the event a driver falls asleep completely.

Final Thoughts
While the Semi’s appearance in Musk’s slide might just be a fun illustration, the Chinese market is definitely a good fit for the Semi. It really boils down to whether Tesla wants to enter that market and whether the Chinese government will help support the transition.

About the Author

Jennifer Sensiba Jennifer Sensiba is a long time efficient vehicle enthusiast, writer, and photographer. She grew up around a transmission shop, and has been experimenting with vehicle efficiency since she was 16 and drove a Pontiac Fiero. She likes to explore the Southwest US with her partner, kids, and animals.

Advertise with CleanTechnica to get your company in front of millions of monthly readers.

CleanTechnica Clothing & Cups

Honda Global | March 28, 2019 MONET Forms Capital and Business Partnership with Hino Motors and Honda

MONET Technologies Inc.Hino Motors, Ltd.Honda Motor Co., Ltd. MONET Technologies Inc. (“MONET”), a joint venture between SoftBank Corp. and Toyota Motor Corporation, today announced that on March 28, 2019, it concluded an agreement for a capital and business partnership with Hino Motors, Ltd. (“Hino”) and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (“Honda”) to increase the value of… Continue reading Honda Global | March 28, 2019 MONET Forms Capital and Business Partnership with Hino Motors and Honda

Faurecia And Michelin To Create A Global Leader In Hydrogen Mobility – PRNewswire

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., March 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Michelin, world leader in tyres and sustainable mobility, and Faurecia, technology leader in the automotive industry, announced today the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding to create a joint venture bringing together all of Michelin’s fuel cell related activities – including its subsidiary Symbio – with those of… Continue reading Faurecia And Michelin To Create A Global Leader In Hydrogen Mobility – PRNewswire

Speed Limiters and Built-In Breathalyzers May Soon Be Mandatory in All EU Cars

New safety features for cars, including speed-limiting technology, are likely to be mandated in Europe after lawmakers and European Union countries reached a deal Tuesday. So-called intelligent speed assistance (ISA) technology is already found in some high-end vehicles from manufacturers such as Ford and Honda, but the plan is to ensure it’s rolled out more… Continue reading Speed Limiters and Built-In Breathalyzers May Soon Be Mandatory in All EU Cars

Press: ZF acquires mobility provider 2getthere

“2getthere has more than three decades of experience in the market for autonomous passenger transport vehicles as well as unique engineering and software competences. This acquisition supports our strategy to become a leading autonomous transportation systems supplier in the booming new mobility market”, said Wolf-Henning Scheider, Chairman of the Board of Management at ZF Friedrichshafen… Continue reading Press: ZF acquires mobility provider 2getthere

Europe agrees raft of safety features to be baked into new vehicles

All new vehicles sold in the European Union must have a wide range of safety features baked in as standard in the coming years, after EU institutions reached provisional agreement on a safety regulation that’s aimed at protecting passengers, pedestrians and cyclists. Once formally adopted most of the new safety features will become mandatory from… Continue reading Europe agrees raft of safety features to be baked into new vehicles

The new BMW Group High Performance D3 platform. Data-Driven Development for Autonomous Driving.

Autonomous Driving at the BMW Group. It was back in 2000 when the BMW Group first started to conduct research into its vision of a car that people could drive themselves – but didn’t have to. Six years later, in 2006, a BMW was following the racing line around the Hockenheim circuit without human assistance… Continue reading The new BMW Group High Performance D3 platform. Data-Driven Development for Autonomous Driving.

Jaguar Land Rover selects Spirent Solutions for Ethernet-in-the-car conformance testing

Spirent Communications, a provider of automotive connectivity & autonomy test solutions, announced that Spirent solutions have been selected by Jaguar Land Rover to verify next-generation automotive Ethernet in-vehicle networking. Modern vehicles have up to 100 engine control units (ECUs), and as more vehicles support advanced features such as multiple cameras and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), automotive designers must… Continue reading Jaguar Land Rover selects Spirent Solutions for Ethernet-in-the-car conformance testing

Sony and DOCOMO to test driverless concept vehicle via 5G trial network in Guam

Sony Corporation and NTT DOCOMO, INC. announced that they will jointly trial Sony’s conceptual driverless vehicle, the New Concept Cart SC-1, which leverages 5G mobile technologies for various remotely controlled functions. The test will be conducted using the trial network in DOCOMO 5G Open Lab GUAM, which will provide test facilities and an outdoor verification… Continue reading Sony and DOCOMO to test driverless concept vehicle via 5G trial network in Guam