BILL GATES CALLED IT IMPOSSIBLE: 2027 Tesla Semi First Drive: We Get Seat Time in Tesla’s 500-Mile Electric Big Rig. “In the last year, I’ve put approximately 10,000 miles on MotorTrend’s long-term 2023 Tesla Model Y, which makes me eminently qualified to evaluate almost any Tesla. My Achilles’ heel in this situation is that I have zero Class 8 truck driving experience. The largest trucks I’ve ever driven have been heavy-duty versions from Ford, Chevrolet, GMC, and Ram, which sometimes have dual rear wheels, fifth-wheel receiver hitches, and the ability to tow upwards of 30,000 pounds, but I’ve never towed that kind of weight, as that would require a commercial driver’s license (CDL). So I’m a big-rig rookie. And yet, driving the Semi was surprisingly familiar, shockingly easy, and dare I say, several tons of fun.”

Related: Tesla Marked the Start of High Volume Semi Production, and the Engineering Story Sits Underneath the Cab. “I drove one. Fully loaded, tractor and trailer, and I came away impressed by three things in particular: the power, the acceleration, and the ride quality. The acceleration is the part that will get written about because it is the part that surprises people. The ride quality is the part that would matter to me if I were putting a driver in it every day. There is also a detail from behind the wheel worth naming. You barely touch the service brake. Regenerative braking handles so much of the deceleration that the driving rhythm changes, and anyone who has run mountain grades understands immediately what that implies for brake wear and for the cost line that goes with it.”