One truck driver explains why the Tesla Semi is an “absolutely stupid” vehicle
Is the Tesla Semi the revolutionary heavyweight that Tesla is selling? A truck driver laments the truck’s great lack of ergonomics.
As Tesla conducts its final testing of the Tesla Semi, deliveries have begun. The opportunity to discover the unique appearance of the electric truck, as well as its exceptional capabilities for a vehicle of this size.
Considered by some to be the future of transportation, the Semi is sure to be a turning point in mobility and the use of electric motors. Tomasz Orynski, a Polish driver, looked at the car more pragmatically. His assessment of it is not the most sympathetic.
“I watch videos in the Tesla Semi”Orynski wrote on Twitter. ” You remember? The truck that was going to revolutionize the transportation industry. And I’ll tell you why it’s a completely stupid vehicle. »
Because if the electric heavyweight has something to impress, it also seems to have design flaws. Many of them reveal a construct that does nothing to help truck drivers in their daily lives.
“I’m not going to talk about its cargo capacity or anything. I’m just going to look at the cabin from a practical standpoint, like someone whose job is to drive a truck. Because it’s the opposite of ‘built around the driver’. »
Wasted space and poor visibility
valid, “built around the driver” was Tesla’s slogan when the Semi was introduced. Comparing the Semi’s cabin to the DAF XG+, the largest truck on the market, the driver laments “lost space” to Tesla, and then lists errors.
“The driver is in the middle. This makes overtaking and forward vision more difficult. It also prevents access to the window to hand in papers or talk to the person at the gate when entering a port, factory, or even a toll booth. »
“The doors are in the back. You get in, hang your jacket on, and have to take a few steps to get behind the wheel. It means we lose cabin space for an aisle, basically. You can’t put a bed, so the driver can’t rest, because the doors are there. »
This is obviously a big problem, because sleeping in the truck is an important part of being a truck driver. He remembered the drivers “sometimes a 20 minute nap is needed when driving at night”. A 20 minute nap which, in the case of the Semi, would be perfect while the car charges.
Lack of daily comfort
The driver continues his overview of the Tesla Semi, and then tackles another part of the problem. He regrets that the design of the cabin complicates the possibility of maintaining a clean environment.
“If you want to go to the right side of the cabin, you have to go through the passenger seat, which meets the driver’s. So you can’t get past it, like in a standard cabin. And sometimes you have to exit to the right, which happened to me today because there was a lot of snow on my left. »
“The fact that you have to walk around the cabin means it’s full of dirt. The nice thing about going straight into the driver’s seat is that you can take off your shoes and get the mud or snow off when you get there. And even dirtier your boots, only the small part in front of the seat is dirty. »
“You can take your boots off here and walk barefoot through the rest of the cabin, keeping it clean. But no, not in a Tesla. Unless you change your shoes every time you enter the cabin, which would be silly . »
Tomasz Orynski continues his study of the latest addition to the Elon Musk brand and discusses the two shelves surrounding the steering wheel. The Pole explained that he himself drove a Mercedes truck with camera mirrors. There are two problems: the difficulties of adjusting them, due to the distance, and the glow they cause at night.
Screens and windshields that complicate life
But the Tesla Semi’s windshield is what this regular truck is most concerned about. He explains why this window inclination is a problem.
“The snow will settle here when you park in the winter. Do you remember how painful it is to clean the snow from the windshield of the car? Try a height of three meters. If the window is vertical, the snow is not a problem. »
there is also “The cabin overheats when driving on a sunny summer day. Even van cabins can get very hot. It’s because of that big, sloping windshield. It is clear that it can be adapted to air conditioning, which will increase consumption and reduce your autonomy. »
“The sloping windshield also offers a larger blind spot. Think how many times you avoid a pedestrian while turning in a modern car. And there are also these pills in your field of vision. »
“The front cabin is narrower. But the mirrors must see behind. That means, their arms are long. So you can not sit on the chair, open the window and clean them when they are dirty. You cannot reach them from the inside, or from the outside, because they are too high. »
In conclusion, he regrets the fact that Tesla thinks above all about the aesthetics of the car, the ergonomics of which is important. According to him, the engineers who worked on the Semi were not specific enough about the needs of the drivers who would use it.
“I can go on. This car is a rich man’s toy. It is not a practical and functional vehicle, because its designers have no idea about the reality of transportation. »
I’m watching movie clips about @elonmusk‘s Tesla Semi – remember, the truck that revolutionized the transportation industry when it hit the market 4 years ago ?
And I’ll tell you all why this is an absolutely stupid car. And I don’t want to talk about (1)
— Tomasz Oryński (@TOrynski) December 8, 2022
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