Photo: @SilentAlert1 via Twitter | Edited
There are at least nine reports about Tesla Semi breaking down on the side of the road, and in some of these cases, they needed to be towed away. According to a recent report, the culprit might be a software bug, which causes the cockpit screens to flicker or turn off.
Electric powertrains have become ubiquitous for passenger cars, but they still need time before conquering the trucking industry. Tesla is among the pioneers thanks to its all-electric Semi, which has just started deliveries. Very few of them are on the roads, but they have already become famous as the towing companies’ most valued customers. There are at least nine reported Semi breakdowns, and in some cases, tow trucks were called to save the day. ICE trucks, mind you, which is even more embarrassing.
We’ve covered some of these occurrences, which were surprising, to say the least, considering that Tesla says the Semis are built to last more than one million miles. We don’t know how’s the quality of the average Class-8 truck, but seeing so many breakdowns for so few trucks in service is a worrying image. Tesla doesn’t help much in explaining what’s causing the trucks to stop on the side of the road, as it fired its PR department years ago. This is why these events are inflated out of proportion based on a rumor or picture.
According to a recent report by Teslarati, many of these incidents are caused by benign software problems. More specifically, a software bug makes the screens flicker and sometimes even shut off. Because the screens contain important information for the drivers, such as range, camera views, controls, and more, they decide to pull over as a precaution. In some of these cases, the trucks need to be towed away. The information was relayed to Teslarati by a source close to the Frito-Lay operation center in Modesto, CA.
Another interesting piece of information is that the trucks are towed to a “secret location” in Lathrop for inspection and repair. A truck driver responsible for towing the broken Semis to Lathrop confirmed they had taken at least four electric trucks to that location so far. The information implies that the situation is not that bad, considering that a software bug can be fixed with an update. Still, the trucks have been in service at Frito-Lay for four months already, and it seems that Tesla still couldn’t squash the pesky bug.
The Semis delivered to PepsiCo are part of a very small batch, and we do not doubt that Tesla is still gathering feedback. Consider the food giant as a sort of beta tester for Tesla Semi, the same as other Tesla owners with the FSD Beta software. Hopefully, Tesla will solve these problems because the transportation sector desperately needs electrification.
We’ve covered some of these occurrences, which were surprising, to say the least, considering that Tesla says the Semis are built to last more than one million miles. We don’t know how’s the quality of the average Class-8 truck, but seeing so many breakdowns for so few trucks in service is a worrying image. Tesla doesn’t help much in explaining what’s causing the trucks to stop on the side of the road, as it fired its PR department years ago. This is why these events are inflated out of proportion based on a rumor or picture.
According to a recent report by Teslarati, many of these incidents are caused by benign software problems. More specifically, a software bug makes the screens flicker and sometimes even shut off. Because the screens contain important information for the drivers, such as range, camera views, controls, and more, they decide to pull over as a precaution. In some of these cases, the trucks need to be towed away. The information was relayed to Teslarati by a source close to the Frito-Lay operation center in Modesto, CA.
Another interesting piece of information is that the trucks are towed to a “secret location” in Lathrop for inspection and repair. A truck driver responsible for towing the broken Semis to Lathrop confirmed they had taken at least four electric trucks to that location so far. The information implies that the situation is not that bad, considering that a software bug can be fixed with an update. Still, the trucks have been in service at Frito-Lay for four months already, and it seems that Tesla still couldn’t squash the pesky bug.
The Semis delivered to PepsiCo are part of a very small batch, and we do not doubt that Tesla is still gathering feedback. Consider the food giant as a sort of beta tester for Tesla Semi, the same as other Tesla owners with the FSD Beta software. Hopefully, Tesla will solve these problems because the transportation sector desperately needs electrification.
???? 9th @Tesla Semi Towed ????
— SilentAlert (@SilentAlert1) March 27, 2023
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