Photo: @KentuckyToc via Twitter
Pictures of a Tesla Semi with missing body panels and gravel lodged in its headlamps were posted online. This suggests that Tesla might have tested the Semi on a runaway truck ramp or that the Semi was forced to use the ramp in an emergency situation.
Tesla Semi is one of the most anticipated models in Tesla’s lineup, alongside the Cybertruck. If we’re to believe Elon Musk, the Class 8 electric truck should start roaming the roads later this year. This means the Semi should have ended the final testing phase by now. Nevertheless, fresh pictures shared by the Tesla Owners of Kentucky group on Twitter show that the EV maker is still working on the Semi.
Last week, a Tesla Semi was spotted in Louisville, Kentucky, riding on top of a platform trailer. The vehicle looked production-ready, sporting the details of the recent redesign, including the “normal” side mirrors. But the windows were covered with plastic bags, making it impossible to see inside. What was more intriguing is that the Semi appeared to have been involved in some sort of accident.
For once, the A-pillar cover is missing on the left side, and the one on the right is taped. The lower part of the front spoiler is broken, while the number plate is hanging on a single fastener. Moreover, gravel lodged in the right headlamp shows that the Semi was driven off the road. A wild guess would be that a runaway truck ramp was entered. If that were the case, there are two possibilities. First, the Semi was tested to see how it behaves in an emergency. Or, it encountered a technical problem, and the runaway ramp was a last-ditch solution.
Runaway ramps are typically long lanes designed to stop a speeding truck left without brakes. They are covered with gravel or sand and usually are connected to a steep uphill road to help stop the runaway truck. Runaway ramps saved countless lives in situations where brakes overheat after a long downhill section of the road. But the Tesla Semi should have plenty of stopping power thanks to regenerative braking, so the need for a runaway ramp is less likely to arise.
The other possibility is somehow more disturbing. Perhaps something happened that left the Semi without power and brakes simultaneously. That prompted the test driver to use a runaway ramp to stop the truck. But without knowing where and how things happened, this is just speculation.
Last week, a Tesla Semi was spotted in Louisville, Kentucky, riding on top of a platform trailer. The vehicle looked production-ready, sporting the details of the recent redesign, including the “normal” side mirrors. But the windows were covered with plastic bags, making it impossible to see inside. What was more intriguing is that the Semi appeared to have been involved in some sort of accident.
For once, the A-pillar cover is missing on the left side, and the one on the right is taped. The lower part of the front spoiler is broken, while the number plate is hanging on a single fastener. Moreover, gravel lodged in the right headlamp shows that the Semi was driven off the road. A wild guess would be that a runaway truck ramp was entered. If that were the case, there are two possibilities. First, the Semi was tested to see how it behaves in an emergency. Or, it encountered a technical problem, and the runaway ramp was a last-ditch solution.
Runaway ramps are typically long lanes designed to stop a speeding truck left without brakes. They are covered with gravel or sand and usually are connected to a steep uphill road to help stop the runaway truck. Runaway ramps saved countless lives in situations where brakes overheat after a long downhill section of the road. But the Tesla Semi should have plenty of stopping power thanks to regenerative braking, so the need for a runaway ramp is less likely to arise.
The other possibility is somehow more disturbing. Perhaps something happened that left the Semi without power and brakes simultaneously. That prompted the test driver to use a runaway ramp to stop the truck. But without knowing where and how things happened, this is just speculation.
Saw a Tesla Semi on the way to the National Drive Electric Week - Louisville this morning! There was plastic sheets blocking view from the outside so no pics of the inside pic.twitter.com/2wZ0YuVR34
— Tesla Owners of Kentucky (@KentuckyToc) September 24, 2022
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