CNN announced last week that there has been a purchase of 40 Tesla trucks by the beverage giant, Anheuser-Busch. This marks a radical difference in the way that transportation in the United States might be viewed in the coming years. If there are findings that there are better efficiencies and practices with these new vehicles, there might be a tremendous change in the single largest distribution industry in the United States. Since this is a market leader making this move there might be a following afterwards if there are key indications of success in this venture. Imagine the hundreds of thousand big rigs on the road today and the pollution that these different vehicles add to our environment. As mentioned before, this is by far the most channel of distribution used in the United States for freighting materials around, so this could save us in environmental costs while also producing benefit for the companies that use these new vehicles. All of this could lead to yet another case of disruptive innovation (or disintermediation) in what is known as a pretty standardized industry. This could change the way rest stops and stations function because of the nature of how these vehicles operate. Who knows what steps could happen afterwards if this becomes a standard. Would this allow for a more accessible commercial view for electric vehicles? Could this perhaps allow us to move forward with the idea of mainstream sustainability in parts of industry that are notorious for pollution? This is all speculation for sure, but the capabilities for this change in industry could lead to benefits for both companies and individuals alike. These cell designs could power our homes, schools, and even major office buildings. It takes steps to adopt technologies like this, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.
source: http://money.cnn.com/2017/11/17/technology/tesla-semi-truck-reveal/index.html
The Tesla Semi is a revolutionary invention in transportation. Trucking is a taxing industry, not only one the environment, but also on the infrastructure of roads/highways. Coming from a town right next to a major US highway, the air quality is tainted from the amount of trucks that go by my house, and the roads have so many potholes and divots due to the constant pressure of trucking. This is a huge deal because Teslas are electric, which is EXTREMELY positive on the environment. It would be interesting to see how the electric trucking industry reduce pollutants over time.
Also, I personally think that the speed/mileage at which these trucks go at is really going to help with keeping product fresh(Beer can go bad) and it will making trucking a lot more efficient. If you can insure that items with an expiration date get to a place faster, consumers will be more happy with a higher shelf life, and you could probably sell them for a little more, because they will last a customer longer. This investment by A-B could make them $$ in the long run. According to CNN, it can do 500 miles at top speeds, which is double the normal Semi. This will save on fuel, which is a plus in a world where we are trying to better sustainability, which is hard monitor in transportation/importing/exporting/trucking.
What are your thoughts on the Semi, and my opinion that it is going to help with transporting perishables/valuable items that can go bad?
The idea of a world where total electrically integrated cars and trucks fill the highways is a an idea worth pursuing. The amount of pollution that high way traffic has done over the years is most likely irreparable, and the least we can do as humans is stop burning fossil fuels. I do believe that within 15 years most cars being manufactured are going to be electric. I personally cannot wait for this bright future, and a world that doesn’t destroy itself.