Despite the huge success of the Tesla Model 3, the electric car company is set to put high-end cars to one side to focus on the heavy-duty truck market.

The idea for a Tesla truck was floated way back in 2012, soon after the announcement of the Model X.

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However, the company went silent on the idea until last year, when founder Elon Musk revealed his 2016 “Master Plan”.

The plan detailed the expansion of the Tesla range, with the promise of SUVs, pickup trucks, heavy-duty trucks and passenger transport vehicles, such as buses.

A year on, one of those new vehicles is nearing completion.

Elon Musk semi-truck unveiling date confirmed

Entrepreneur Musk stated back in April that he hoped to have a Tesla truck ready for a public unveiling in September.

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Tesla has since pushed the date back.

However, Musk took to Twitter earlier today to confirm a date for the official semi-truck unveiling.

An event has been scheduled for late October in Hawthorne, California, the home of Tesla, Musk revealed.

 

 

With a date confirmed, what can we expect from Tesla’s semi-truck?

Tesla semi-truck: What can we expect?

Musk has been extremely secretive about his company’s latest project.

He did divulge some details back at the Tesla annual shareholder meeting in June. However, he also insisted that the official unveiling would reveal “a little more than we are saying here”.

Of course, given Tesla’s positions as a leading electric vehicle manufacturer, these trucks will be fully electric. According to Reuters, the Tesla truck will be able to travel approximately 200 to 300 miles per charge with an average payload.

That would be an impressive working range if true, given that semi-trucks are authorised to haul up to 36,000 kg of goods at one time.

The average electric car currently offers between 100 and 200 miles per charge. Although, the Model 3 offers between 220 and 310 miles per charge, so it certainly isn’t impossible.

While unconfirmed, reports suggest that the upcoming vehicle will contain Tesla’s autonomous driving technology. This will allow the truck to drive without a human controlling it.

According to reports, Tesla is also working on “platooning” technology, which would allow a fleet of their self-driving trucks to follow a “leader”. This would allow one driver to control a number of vehicles, cutting down the need for multiple drivers.