Does the Future of Trucking Include Solar Trucks? What Students in Dispatch School Need to Know
We have seen the rise of the electric car in the automotive world, but what about transport trucking? It seems like a natural progression for transport trucking to become electrically propelled, but there are still no electric or solar powered trucks on the road.
However, things are slated to change. Tesla Motors, the Elon Musk-backed electric car company, is thinking of moving into semi-truck production, and there are many other trucking companies looking to do the same as well. The trucking industry might soon see greener trucks, and as a dispatch student, you’ll be around to see these positive changes.
Read on to discover how solar trucks are making their way into the trucking world.
Tesla’s New Semi-Truck Is a Futuristic Truck for Students in Dispatch Training
Tesla recently unveiled its ‘Master Plan, Part Deux,’ the follow up plan to its first master plan, which brought about the introduction of an electric sports car and electric luxury sedan. Next on the agenda are the Tesla ‘Minibus’ and ‘Semi-Truck,’ which Elon Musk confirmed the company is working on over a conference call recently. Musk explained that “we expect to unveil those for the middle of next year, maybe the next six to nine months type of thing, and then have a better, more fleshed-out plan for when those would enter production.”
Students in dispatch training should know that these new vehicles will represent a paradigm shift in the trucking industry and the way things are moved around the world. Some even speculate that these new trucks might feature solar panels on top of the truck or trailer, as Tesla just acquired the solar company Solar City. This all-electric truck will be battery powered and will produce zero emissions. The trucks will also feature autonomous driving features, meaning on highways drivers won’t be required to drive at all! This will be an interesting advancement for dispatchers, as they may be able to communicate directions straight to Tesla’s onboard computer rather than to the truck driver.
Hey Students in Dispatch Training; The ‘Nikola One’ Electric Truck Should Be On The Road Soon!
The Nikola Motor Company has unveiled a working prototype of their hybrid truck that features a 320 kWh battery pack. It promises to be the first 100 per cent hydrogen powered emissions-free semi-truck, with a 1930 km range to boot.
If you’re in dispatch school, keep your eyes open for this truck to be around shortly, as 7,000 pre-orders have already been made, worth over $2.3 billion USD. This huge amount of capital means that these trucks will hit roads soon and eliminate a lot of the fuel costs that can be a big consideration for dispatchers. In fact, according to the Nikola Motor Company, their new truck has half the operating costs of a traditional diesel truck! Expect to see solar panels on the roof of the Nikola One, as the Nikola four wheeler concept just included this option.
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