YouTuber Takes Us Inside The Cabin Of The Tesla Semi (Video)
A new YouTube video, courtesy of Anton Yavorskiy, gives the general public one of our first looks inside the cabin of the Tesla Semi. A select few members of the press, including CleanTechnica, were allowed inside the cabins of the Tesla Semi Truck immediately before the public reveal event back in November 2017 — on the condition that no photo, video, or other recording be made.
The new video shows off the interior of the Semi and puts the impressive visibility of the center-seat configuration in combination with the wrap-around windshield on display. The driver’s seat does not allow the driver to see all the way down to the tip of the vehicle, but it is leaps and bounds better than most semi trucks that frequent the freeways in America.
Europe has tighter specifications for overall vehicle length, which has resulted in the dominance of flat-fronted semi trucks that allow for a longer load.
The view from the driver’s seat also shows off the two displays that sit to the right and left of the driver. The Tesla Semi repurposed the electric motor from the Model 3 and the screens appear to be the same 15″ touchscreen that was used in the Model 3. Putting the monitors off to the side keeps the sightline out the front of the vehicle as clear as possible while giving Tesla design flexibility with the displays.
The dash has the same keep-it-simple design aesthetic of the Model 3 with its low posture and wide, ventless HVAC vent. The Model 3 revolutionized in-car air conditioning with its nearly infinitely adjustable louvers that allow the driver to configure the airflow direction from the touchscreen while eliminating the need for stand-alone dash vents.
Semi trucks differ from passenger vehicles in that the majority of trucks spend most of their time on the highway so once the cruising speed is set, vehicle speed is no longer the most important thing to keep in front of the driver. Having said that, it will be interesting to see how Tesla changes the layout of the data in the Semi with twice the screen real estate compared the the Model 3 as the Tesla Semi moves into production.
On the inside of the vehicle, the video shows that the functions typically relegated to the center console have been moved to a right-hand console with several cupholders and some storage. The left hand side of the cabin remains clear of features other than the landscape screen, making getting in and out of the driver’s seat easier than traditional semi trucks. The configuration of the vehicle in the video has a single passenger seat in the right rear corner of the cabin.
Finally, the quick video tour reveals an odd third pedal at the feet of the driver. It’s elevated position is in the upper left-hand side of the foot well. The Model S and X have a foot rest near the position of the mystery pedal in the video but the effort put into making the pedal out of the same metal as the pedals and the snubby nature of it make it look more like a parking brake than anything.
Again, we’ll have to wait and see what these features look like in the production version, but until then, it’s fun to speculate just how revolutionary the Tesla Semi might be … or if it ends up being a total flop when it actually moves into production.
What do you think? Is the Tesla Semi revolutionary or is it a one-off that will quickly be surpassed by trucking industry stalwarts like Cummins, Mack, and Mercedes?
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