Tesla truck spotted laying rubber as it accelerates down public street

Feb. 23, 2018 08:00AM EST

Tesla's famous 'ludicrous' acceleration isn't exclusive to its flagship Model S and Model X cars, as a video has emerged online of the company's truck spinning its wheels and launching itself down the street.

The truck, which is due to be delivered to customers in 2019, was spotted on a public road in the Bay Area of San Francisco, California. The prototype semi truck is seen driving slowly past the camera, before accelerating with such power than the wheels spin and leave lines of black rubber on the road.

Revealed in November 2017, the Tesla truck has a claimed electric range of 500 miles, a futuristic interior with the driver's seat in the middle, and enough power to hit 60mph in a sports car-like five seconds. Tesl boss Elon Musk claimed the truck can hit the same speed in just 20 seconds while carrying 80,000 lb of cargo.

Although the truck's range is some way short of the 1,000-plus miles a diesel semi truck is capable of, Musk claims his vehicle is 20 percent cheaper to operate per mile than a diesel alternative - and that figure, said to be the "worst case scenario" for the Tesla, takes into account the cost of leasing the vehicle, plus insurance and other factors.

Musk said the truck will feature some self-driving technology, including automatic braking, lane guidance and collision warnings; "this is a massive increase in safety" the Tesla boss said. Musk also claimed Tesla's autonomous technology makes platooning - where trucks closely follow the lead of the one in front on highways - ten times safer than human drivers.

Companies to have already orders trucks from tesla include Pepsico, which ordered 100 examples in late 2017. Other customers include food wholesaler Sysco, transporter JB Hunt, DHL, Walmart and Budweiser parent Anheuser-Busch.

There is nowhere for the driver to sleep in the Tesla Semi - something other trucks fit in the roof - but instead the two-seat cabin is light and airy, and designed to maximize space to move around inside. The truck has a central driving position - Musk said it feels like a race car - and the passenger seat is mounted behind and to the side of the driver. There is a front truck, or "frunk" under the truck's nose for additional storage and access for routine servicing.

The dashboard features the same display panel as the Tesla Model 3, only this time there are two, with one either side of center. Other items borrowed from the company's cheapest car include the turn signal and gear selector.

Tesla says the truck's drivetrain - the motors and hardware built to deliver power to the wheels - is guaranteed for one million miles. Musk said the brake discs never need to be replaced. because much of the energy required to slow an 80,000 lb truck comes from turning the drive motors into generators, just like how Tesla cars slow down with minimal use of the brakes.

The same week as the Tesla truck was spotted, another YouTube video emerged of a Tesla Roadster prototype launching from standstill on Tesla's test track, below.