Photo: @SilentAlert1 via Twitter | Edited
The first Tesla Semis were delivered to its launch customer only four months ago, and the EV maker already had to recall almost the entire fleet. The first Tesla Semi recall aims to fix a problem with a parking brake valve supplied by Bendix, which could fail to engage or disengage as required.
Many people were puzzled to see the Tesla Semi spending a lot of time on the side of the road, awaiting assistance. In several cases, the trucks needed to be towed away, indicating that the malfunction was impossible to fix on the spot. Many speculated that the Tesla Semi might have a range problem, although it’s quite hard to deplete an EV battery and not know it well in advance. Recently, Electrek learned from a person involved with Frito-Lay, which operates several Semi electric trucks, that a software glitch might be behind the problem.
Although it sounds plausible, it’s improbable that the same software problem caused all the Tesla Semi breakdowns. According to the report, the software bug would cause the screens to flicker or turn off, impacting the truck’s operation. The broken Semis have made headlines for the past four months. Surely Tesla would’ve solved the bug a long time ago. Something else might cripple the Semi, and the truck’s first recall might offer a clue.
According to the report filed with the NHTSA, Tesla recalled 35 trucks because the electronic parking brake valve module (PVM) might fail to transition when the parking brake is engaged or disengaged. This causes the parking brakes to not be set or released as requested. When the parking brakes are not engaged, the vehicle may unintentionally move when releasing the service brakes, increasing the risk of a crash. On the other hand, if the brakes are not released, the truck remains immobilized.
The problem is caused because the PVM supplied by Bendix may allow for excessive internal air leakage, preventing the pressure from building properly. Bendix discovered the defect in February and said that it affects a total of 836 units installed not only in Tesla Semi, but many other brands. Tesla delivered the first batch of 36 Semis to Pepsi and Frito-Lay in December, but only 35 were recalled. The EV maker says the problem was solved for trucks built after March 14, as they were already fitted with the improved replacement valve modules.
According to the recall report, Tesla has not identified any instances where the parking brake malfunction has resulted in a crash or damages. It doesn’t reveal how many times a Semi truck has been immobilized because the parking brake failed to disengage. We think it’s more likely to have the trucks towed away because of this problem than from a blank screen.
Although it sounds plausible, it’s improbable that the same software problem caused all the Tesla Semi breakdowns. According to the report, the software bug would cause the screens to flicker or turn off, impacting the truck’s operation. The broken Semis have made headlines for the past four months. Surely Tesla would’ve solved the bug a long time ago. Something else might cripple the Semi, and the truck’s first recall might offer a clue.
According to the report filed with the NHTSA, Tesla recalled 35 trucks because the electronic parking brake valve module (PVM) might fail to transition when the parking brake is engaged or disengaged. This causes the parking brakes to not be set or released as requested. When the parking brakes are not engaged, the vehicle may unintentionally move when releasing the service brakes, increasing the risk of a crash. On the other hand, if the brakes are not released, the truck remains immobilized.
The problem is caused because the PVM supplied by Bendix may allow for excessive internal air leakage, preventing the pressure from building properly. Bendix discovered the defect in February and said that it affects a total of 836 units installed not only in Tesla Semi, but many other brands. Tesla delivered the first batch of 36 Semis to Pepsi and Frito-Lay in December, but only 35 were recalled. The EV maker says the problem was solved for trucks built after March 14, as they were already fitted with the improved replacement valve modules.
According to the recall report, Tesla has not identified any instances where the parking brake malfunction has resulted in a crash or damages. It doesn’t reveal how many times a Semi truck has been immobilized because the parking brake failed to disengage. We think it’s more likely to have the trucks towed away because of this problem than from a blank screen.
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