Tesla truck launch event: Where to watch live webcast and everything we know so far
Elon Musk is to unveil Tesla's fifth vehicle later this evening, November 16. But unlike the four to go before it, this will not be a car - it will be an electric truck.
Little is known about the vehicle for now, other than that it will be a heavy-duty Class 8 truck. Rumors suggest it will have a range of between 200 and 300 miles, there will be some self-driving abilities - and, this being Tesla, it will of course be fully electric.
What is a Class 8 truck?
Class 8 trucks have a gross vehicle weight rating - the total weight, including cargo - exceeding 33,000 lbs (14,969kg) and sometimes topping 80,000 lbs. They typically have at least three axles and can be semi-articulated, hence trucks of this size, include Tesla's, are often referred to as semis. The commonly-used 18-wheelers are also Class 8 vehicles.
The most common length of trailer for a Class 8 truck is 57 feet, although it isn't known if Tesla will be producing a trailer or just the truck itself.
Essentially, what we are talking about here is a common semi-articulated truck, as used all over the US, Europe and the rest of the world. An electric range of 300 miles will fall some way short of the 1,00-mile range of some diesel trucks, but Tesla has to start somewhere.
How to watch the Tesla Truck event live stream
As usual with Tesla events, there will be a live video stream broadcast online. The event is taking place at the company's Hawthorne, California headquarters and is scheduled to start at 8pm PT / 11pm ET. However, anyone who tuned in to watch the Model 3 launch event in 2016 will remember how Tesla and Musk aren't always the most punctual of hosts.
The live stream will be available on the Tesla website, and a dedicated page for the truck is already live at tesla.com/semi.
What does the Tesla truck look like?
Musk, who is chief executive of both Tesla and rocket manufacturer SpaceX, posted a short animation of his truck to Instagram a day before the event. Other than it looking distinctively truck-like, there is little more to be said. It looks like a truck, albeit one with stylishly flared front wheel arches, a deep windscreen, tall narrow headlights, and a regular-sized trailer.
The truck looks broadly similar to a video posted online in October, above, which claim to show a working Tesla prototype. In the video, the truck is seen driving away in eerie silence.
Where will the truck recharge?
This is another major unknown which we hope Musk will address at the launch later today. Tesla has successfully expanded its Supercharger car charging network across the US, Europe and beyond, but how this will translate into truck charging is not known. Let's hope we get some answers from Elon when the show kicks off in a few hours' time...
