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Orynski concentrated his whole evaluation on how practical the cabin was. Tesla claimed to have "built it around the driver," but he gave several examples of why that is merely an exaggeration. Starting by how much space it just wastes with its central seating position. While that is the one the McLaren F1 adopted, it works better on hypercars than on trucks.
I am watching a movie clips about @elonmusk's Tesla Semi - remember, the truck that was to revolutionize the transport industry when it entered the market 4 years ago
— Tomasz Oryński (@TOrynski) December 8, 2022
And I am going to tell you'all why it is a completely stupid vehicle. And I won't even want to talk about (1)
The Polish truck driver also states that the central driving position makes it more challenging to look ahead and overtake. That happens because a truck is a wide vehicle. If you are in the middle of the cabin, you are far from the edge of the lane, where you have a better view of the traffic ahead. On a two-way road, that's also where you can see oncoming traffic.
Truck drivers have a lot of responsibilities, from paying tolls to talking to people at gatehouses. They also have to handle the paperwork associated with entering a factory or making a delivery. The Semi does not give access to a window. In fact, it has no windows that can be opened: the driver will have to get up from their seat, open the door and deal with whatever they need - even in the winter.
Talking about cold weather, Orynski said that having the doors in the back of the cabin will force the driver to walk a bit to reach their seats. In the winter, with muddy boots, doing that will mess up the cabin interior. A truck with doors that give direct access to the driver's seat prevents that from happening: they can take off their boots and just walk barefoot in the cabin.
Having a bed would be more useful for truck drivers and the Semi apparently does not have one. The Polish driver sees this as another negative aspect to electric trucks in general. If you think it through, it also speaks a bunch about the limited use the truck will have, almost like a Class 8 last-mile truck, if that even exists. A hypothetical bed could be in the back, but it is not there because that's where the Semi has its doors.
The Polish truck driver also despises the gigantic screens inside the Semi. According to him, the "tablets are simply not designed for use in moving vehicles." Orynski says drivers need physical buttons that they can reach without taking their eyes off the road. He also complains about how they reflect stuff and glow too much, even in dark mode, which makes them terrible for night driving.
Orynski also criticizes the car's rear-view mirrors. Because the driver sits in the middle of the vehicle (again) and because the front cabin is narrower than average, Tesla had to place them on really long arms. If they get dirty (and eventually they will), it'll be difficult for the driver to reach them and clean them.
His last complaint about the truck is precisely something that Tesla seems particularly proud of: the bullet shape of the cabin, which imposes an angled windscreen. As aerodynamic as that is, Orynski said it would only help snow build up on top of it. In the summer, the angled windscreen will turn the cabin into a glasshouse.
P.P.S. And if you really want an electric truck, then just get Nikola, that uses Iveco Stralis cab, with the design perfected over half of century. Or a Volvo. Or Mercedes. Or DAF. Or Scania. All major truck manufacturers offer electric trucks for years now. pic.twitter.com/aQDd6gUGYf
— Tomasz Oryński (@TOrynski) December 8, 2022
Although Tesla investors insist this is an isolated opinion, Orynski's view on the electric truck was shared by the truck drivers interviewed by Cowboy State Daily.
Source: Autoevolution
