The Tesla Electric Semi Truck.

[Foggydog]

Question. When on a one way, two lane highway out in the sticks I see semi trucks passing other, slower semis, but when they get into the left lane to pass they go so slow and it takes them a few minutes to pass. If the speed limit is 75, or 80 mph and it takes them that long I'm guessing they have an electronic limiter that doesn't allow them to go over posted speed limit? Some kind of GPS device that knows what the posted speed limit is?

Just saw your question...
Most company truck are governed between 62-68 mph. My company truck is governed at 66, but other are often governed a little slower.
The reason for slower governed speed is because of cost savings. A half a mile per gallon saved per truck times 1,000 to 15,000 is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars every year.
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i work at a distribution center (one of about a dozen) for the canadian retailer mentioned and while i haven't heard much/anything about this at work; until the trucks are delivered it's not really worth discussing. in a typical 24hr period i'd estimate we probably see around 100 inbound and 100 outbound shipments, typing this makes me want to get a more precise number but that's a good ball park. inbound shipments are primarily long haul but outbound go to our own stores and would mostly fall within the tesla's stated range.
realistically stores could add charging stations at their loading docks and the trucks could recharge while trailers are unloaded. it's an exciting progression and i'll be interested to see how autonomous driving features progress between now and the time these trucks hit the streets.

Companies will seldom if ever install charging stations for trucks that are not their own. I have seen this posted several times and it is hogwash. Just as you said in your post, if you have 100 inbound trucks daily, why would your company spend the money to install charges for OTR trucks that they won’t make any money on? And OTR trucks use fleet fuel cards to keep track of highway fuel taxes. So the only place that chargers will be installed will be truckstops, because they are in that business and will be able to set them up for charging the fleet cards.

 

[hwojtek]

Companies will seldom if ever install charging stations for trucks that are not their own. I have seen this posted several times and it is hogwash. Just as you said in your post, if you have 100 inbound trucks daily, why would your company speed the money to install charges for OTR trucks that they won’t make any money on? And OTR trucks use fleet fuel cards to keep track of highway fuel taxes. So the only place that chargers will be installed will be truckstops, because they are in that business and will be able to set them up for charging the fleet cards.

It is, however, a viable business idea for logistics/storage hubs to act just like airports that fuel the airplanes.
Just install a charger and get paid for charging a truck while it's loaded/unloaded. This can be combined with existing fleet cards or integrated with some other system (the energy used for charging the trucks could be traded for cheaper incoming electricity, it may be profit-sharing with a charger network operator, you name it). Storage centers have acres and acres of roof surface, so it may also become quite cost-effective if bundled with solar panels actually.