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Tesla tractor reliability

Discussion in 'Tesla' started by Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, Mar 13, 2023.

  1. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    I don't like posting Twitter links but I haven't seen a better source yet.

    Anyone else have anything on this?

    "Tesla Semi rollout has been a 'disaster'"

    If this information is accurate, that's a terrible start for the product.
     
    #1 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, Mar 13, 2023
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    I haven’t seen a thing, and the shorters are usually writing articles all over the place about this stuff
     
    #2 bisco, Mar 13, 2023
  3. Zythryn

    Zythryn Senior Member

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    This poster has had nothing but bad things to say about Musk. He makes insinuations and out of context statements to paint Tesla and Musk in as bad a light as possible.

    This is not a reliable source IMO.

    That said, I don't know how the Semi rollout is doing in its first quarter on the roads.
    I look forward to hearing about it from Pepsi or other owners.
     
    #3 Zythryn, Mar 13, 2023
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  4. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    Thanks, @Zythryn that is useful context. I don't read Twitter often enough to have built up a list of good sources vs. bad. It's tricky enough doing that with big media.

    Doubtless Pepsi will have something to say. Unless the photo was expertly doctored, that is one of their vans (Pepsi owns Lay's) hooked up to the Tesla hooked up to the tow truck.
     
    #4 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, Mar 13, 2023
    Last edited: Mar 13, 2023
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  5. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    I have seen reports on sightings of Semis being towed, but no follow up. Could be a major issue. Could be minor. Could just be one lemon truck. Hard to tell without details.
     
    #5 Trollbait, Mar 13, 2023
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  6. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Infantile problems are common enough with any new product. It is not that early problems occur but how fast they are diagnosed and corrected.

    Bob Wilson
     
    #6 bwilson4web, Mar 13, 2023
  7. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    Eh, sort of?

    Over-the-road trucking has notoriously little patience for problems that bring down dispatch reliability numbers. Nowhere near as accepting of flaws as the typical Tesla car buyer.

    Nobody could expect a new player to have caught every bug before sale, but any new entrant into the market should realize that they're competing against manufacturers who've been in the groove for a while.

    If (and it's a big if given the source quality) the base complaint has any accuracy (8 tows in a fleet of 36 tractors in a 90 day window?)

    I'd fairly expect most fleet managers to say "Take them back, refund us, we won't sue you and if you make with the refund quickly enough we might consider it again after you've done a ground-up redesign."
     
    #7 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, Mar 14, 2023
  8. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Another early problem with the Tesla brakes identified by Consumer Reports was diagnosed and corrected with an over the air update in a week. This rapid response impressed all who learned of it.

    Since the potential, annual fleet savings are easily close to $100,000, I suspect there will be patience with these problems. Find it, fix it, and the rest is money saved enough to pay for the truck.

    We don’t throw the baby out with the first problem. They do get better.

    Bob Wilson
     
    #8 bwilson4web, Mar 14, 2023
  9. 3PriusMike

    3PriusMike Prius owner since 2000, Tesla M3 2018

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    Except that Pepsi knew what they signed up for in being first to get the Tesla semi. They know that the move to EVs is coming and they wanted to be first, it seems. Sure they could wait until all their competitors made the switch first and take very little risk. But they didn't chose that path.

    Mike
     
    #9 3PriusMike, Mar 15, 2023
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