Tesla unveils new semi-truck, new Roadster sports car

Elon Musk pulled off a Steve Jobs-ian "one more thing" surprise at the unveiling of Tesla Inc.'s Semi model, rolling a new Roadster sports car out of the back of a big rig on stage.

The Semi truck going into production in 2019 will boast 500 miles of range, a battery and motors that will last 1 million miles and cheaper total operating costs than diesel models, Tesla's chief executive officer said. The Roadster, available a year later, will be the fastest production car ever made, he said.

"The point of doing this is to just give a hardcore smack-down to gasoline cars," Musk told the crowd gathered at Tesla's design studio near Los Angeles, touting the Roadster's 1.9-second 0-60 miles per hour time and 620 miles of range. "Driving a gasoline sports car is going to feel like a steam engine with a side of quiche."

It was crucial for Musk to wow watchers of the Semi event. Tesla has stumbled out of the gate with the Model 3 sedan, the first car it's trying to mass produce and sell to more mainstream consumers. With battery bottlenecks undercutting output, the CEO and master pitchman was seeking to regenerate hype about future products capable of hauling in more revenue.

"Elon's showmanship remains intact, even as his customers' patience for Model 3 delivery wanes," Karl Brauer, executive publisher of Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader, wrote in an email. "The specs on the new semi truck and sports car would put both vehicles at the top of their segments, assuming they can be produced and sold as part of a sustainable business plan. So far that final element has eluded Tesla."

The truck is vital to Musk's master plan to electrify all the major forms of "terrestrial transport." While battery-powered passenger cars get all the buzz, electrifying big rigs would make a material difference in cleaning up the transportation sector.

Source: Khaleej Times