In a recent special video featured on his “Jay Leno’s Garage” YouTube channel, the iconic Jay Leno fulfilled a long-held dream as he took the wheel of the Tesla Semi Class 8 electric truck. Tesla’s Chief Designer, Franz von Holzhausen, and Senior Manager of Semi-Truck Engineering, Dan Priestley, were on hand to brief Leno about the groundbreaking electric truck before he embarked on this electrifying adventure.
The 42-minute video not only offers viewers an up-close look at the Tesla Semi but also provides fascinating insights into its design philosophy. Von Holzhausen revealed that the Semi’s design drew inspiration from high-speed trains, specifically Japan’s renowned Shinkansen, or “bullet train.” This influence played a pivotal role in achieving an impressive drag coefficient of approximately 0.4, a noteworthy feat for a Class 8 truck when compared to the traditional diesel-powered counterparts, which typically score around 0.8.
Leno, being the automotive aficionado that he is, wasted no time delving into the technical details. He inquired about the truck’s horsepower, to which Priestley disclosed that the system generates around 1,500 horsepower, albeit not fully unleashed to preserve tire longevity and optimize efficiency.
As Leno took the Tesla Semi for a spin with Priestley riding shotgun, he was struck by how similar the driving experience was to that of a standard Tesla car, despite the monumental scale of the electric truck. He humorously quipped that it felt like “driving the Empire State Building.” The Semi’s impressive acceleration also caught Leno by surprise, highlighting Tesla’s goal of creating a truck capable of seamlessly navigating various traffic scenarios.
The pinnacle of the video arrived when Priestley revealed an exhilarating option to Leno: the possibility of towing another Semi. A low-roof version of the truck, previously utilized for hot weather testing in Nevada, awaited on a trailer by the roadside. With guidance from onboard cameras and Priestley’s expert instructions, Leno successfully hooked up the trailer, showcasing the Semi’s user-friendly design. The experience left Leno astonished at how effortlessly he managed a 60,000-pound combination vehicle.
For those eager to delve deeper into the world of the Tesla Semi and witness Jay Leno’s captivating adventure firsthand, the full video promises an engaging and educational journey into the future of electric trucking.
