thor semi Thor Trucks, Able to deliver before Tesla?

[G. David Felt]

Thor Trucks, Able to deliver before Tesla?

 

From the skunks work world of downtown L.A. comes the latest electrical truck start up. Thor Truck is the latest darling that has probably one of the best chances to actually deliver and put considerable pressure on Paccar, owner of Kenworth and Peterbilt, Mac, Volvo, White and many others that build for the class 8 market.

Thor Truck introduced just before Xmas their ET-One Class 8 Semi delivering the following details:

• Top Speed of 70 mph hauling it's maximum capacity
• Maximum capacity of 80,000 lbs per trailer load
• 4,700 pound-feet of torque at zero rpm
• Battery rang of up to 300 miles
• 60 % cheaper maintenance cost
• 70 % cheaper fuel cost
• 100 % fewer emissions from the actual driven truck
• 90 minute depletion to full charge time
• 22 inch dashboard touchscreen
• 100 mile range version starts at $150,000
• 300 mile range version starts at $250,000

According to the CEO and company founder Dakota Semler, who praised his staff and posted the following on his blog:

“We wanted to show the world that you don’t have to be a big original equipment manufacturer, like a Ford or GM, or a tech mogul with deep pockets to start making progress in this space,” wrote Semler. “With no outside funding, we assembled a team of experienced, gutsy, and passionate engineers and went to work researching and designing the ET-One in-house.”

Thor Truck has stated production will begin in 2019 and pre-ordering will open soon for their local short range inner city truck, for now, they have done something that Tesla has not. They have invited fleet operators around the US to participate in a limited fleet demonstrations of their modest fleet of semi's using them in real world use.

Thor has set up an FAQ site for answering most of the questions one would ask such as service, warranty, powertrain, dealerships, battery, charging and so much more.

Thor Truck Web Site

 

[oldshurst442]

The logo...

Looks like a pissed off version of Tesla's logo.  A Tesla logo that uses the Dark side of the force. 

  

 

[G. David Felt]

1 hour ago, oldshurst442 said:

The logo...

Looks like a pissed off version of Tesla's logo.  A Tesla logo that uses the Dark side of the force. 

  

 

Very true, but even more so is how Transformer the truck looks. It even has a bigger wrap around front window.

They at least kept the side by side seating position rather than a center seat with two rear seats as in Tesla.

[oldshurst442]

Function over form and I fully understand that...but I find both Tesla and Thor trucks very ugly.  So...Im not a fan for either truck regarding looks.  

Im not a trucker, so I dont know what is more better, comfortable, useful for them. Side by side seating versus center seat central with 2 rear seats after that.

Ill go with function over form with that as well and listen to a trucker or two for their input as to what they prefer on that issue. 

Regarding the performance specs. Ill just wait and see when indeed the real trucks come out and are tested in reality to form an opinion on that. 

And on that bombshell...Ill answer the question that was asked. 

Which company will produce and be ready to deliver first?

Thor is a brand new company? Another start up?

At least Tesla HAS mass produced some models so far even though the Model 3 is still stuck in hell.

I think Im gonna sit this one out coach...I have no answer.  The odds...could go either way...

[G. David Felt]

40 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

Function over form and I fully understand that...but I find both Tesla and Thor trucks very ugly.  So...Im not a fan for either truck regarding looks.  

Im not a trucker, so I dont know what is more better, comfortable, useful for them. Side by side seating versus center seat central with 2 rear seats after that.

Ill go with function over form with that as well and listen to a trucker or two for their input as to what they prefer on that issue. 

Regarding the performance specs. Ill just wait and see when indeed the real trucks come out and are tested in reality to form an opinion on that. 

And on that bombshell...Ill answer the question that was asked. 

Which company will produce and be ready to deliver first?

Thor is a brand new company? Another start up?

At least Tesla HAS mass produced some models so far even though the Model 3 is still stuck in hell.

I think Im gonna sit this one out coach...I have no answer.  The odds...could go either way...

I get what your saying, but Thor has a demo fleet that fleet companies can test use. I think Tesla only has the two trucks they showed in their show.

I am thinking right now since no other distractions that Thor will get out trucks first.

[Robert Hall]

With a name like Thor, would have thought they would have had Mjolnir (Thor's hammer) as the logo..;)

Maybe the Thor truck can make an appearance as Thor's ride in an upcoming Marvel movie...

Edited December 20, 2017 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[oldshurst442]

10 hours ago, dfelt said:

I get what your saying, but Thor has a demo fleet that fleet companies can test use. I think Tesla only has the two trucks they showed in their show.

I am thinking right now since no other distractions that Thor will get out trucks first.

Sure.

But there will come a time when Tesla will figure it out. Perhaps never...but if they never figure it out, that will spell the end of their existence.  If the Model 3 never comes out of production hell, then Tesla goes will cease to exist ending their bid for semi-trucks in the process as well...and Pepsi and Wallmart could kiss their deposits good-bye...because I have a feeling, Tesla will NOT refund those. Those deposits that were made for the trucks were to line Tesla's coffers so they could continue to burn through billions of dollars...

Thor...whose to say that they wont see production hell as well? 

Thor is based in California?

Silicon Valley?

Yeah...as if Silicon Valley idiots know about mass production of goods.

They shun Detroit because they see Detroit as dinosaurs and the electronic toys they do create, well, their facilities to produce are in China....slave labour...

So...I dont have much faith in Thor either. 

 

[Drew Dowdell]

They won't get there with that truck.  It's a total kit car and doesn't even have wipers.

If Tesla keeps its promise on max range, their truck will have this one beat. 300 miles won't be enough range for long haul trucks.

[ccap41]

100 and 300 mile ranges? I don't think they're exactly going after the same market as the 500 mile range Tesla. 

I'd also assume Tesla has a much larger support network across the country for both service and charging. 

Depending on their prices, I'd take the Tesla pretty easily. 

[G. David Felt]

10 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

Sure.

But there will come a time when Tesla will figure it out. Perhaps never...but if they never figure it out, that will spell the end of their existence.  If the Model 3 never comes out of production hell, then Tesla goes will cease to exist ending their bid for semi-trucks in the process as well...and Pepsi and Wallmart could kiss their deposits good-bye...because I have a feeling, Tesla will NOT refund those. Those deposits that were made for the trucks were to line Tesla's coffers so they could continue to burn through billions of dollars...

Thor...whose to say that they wont see production hell as well? 

Thor is based in California?

Silicon Valley?

Yeah...as if Silicon Valley idiots know about mass production of goods.

They shun Detroit because they see Detroit as dinosaurs and the electronic toys they do create, well, their facilities to produce are in China....slave labour...

So...I dont have much faith in Thor either. 

 

I guess I should have included more details as I figured people would visit the website, but here is more info: @Drew Dowdell @ccap41

They are based out of L.A. not Silicon Valley and the CEO was at a former Truck company so I figure there has to be some know how about trucks.

The battery pack can be ordered up to 1MWh upon customer request giving it from 100 miles in the base form up to 300 plus is all they say at this time. Battery pack is bigger at 1MWh than what Tesla has said they would offer, so I am thinking 500+ miles.

Pricing right now for the 100 miles and 300 miles is equal to what Tesla is also asking in price, we do not have a price for the long range 500 mile truck yet from Tesla or Thor.

Thor based on their website is signing up existing trucks stop / repair companies to be their dealer network across North America.

Right now I think Thor is pretty much making sure to match Tesla point for point except for the seating configuration.

According to the web site, the wipers are stored behind the nose cone so they do not show unless turned on or that is what I figure based on their site info as of today.

[oldshurst442]

2 minutes ago, dfelt said:

I guess I should have included more details as I figured people would visit the website, but here is more info: @Drew Dowdell @ccap41

They are based out of L.A. not Silicon Valley and the CEO was at a former Truck company so I figure there has to be some know how about trucks.

The battery pack can be ordered up to 1MWh upon customer request giving it from 100 miles in the base form up to 300 plus is all they say at this time. Battery pack is bigger at 1MWh than what Tesla has said they would offer, so I am thinking 500+ miles.

Pricing right now for the 100 miles and 300 miles is equal to what Tesla is also asking in price, we do not have a price for the long range 500 mile truck yet from Tesla or Thor.

Thor based on their website is signing up existing trucks stop / repair companies to be their dealer network across North America.

Right now I think Thor is pretty much making sure to match Tesla point for point except for the seating configuration.

According to the web site, the wipers are stored behind the nose cone so they do not show unless turned on or that is what I figure based on their site info as of today.

Thanx for the additional information.

I usually do read a link and I especially read a link  before commenting. 

In this case though, semi-trucks are not usually of my interest so I went ahead and assumed some stuff and commented anyway.

Los Angeles...Silicon Valley.  NoCal and SoCal.  OK...I see where I erred and it  bit me in the butt. I read it quickly and glanced ove the Los Angeles part. 

But would I be wrong in assuming that even SoCal entities are living very much in a dream world as compared to the rest of the planet?

I mean...Los Angeles is nick-named LA LA Land.  

Holyweird (especially now when the bloody place is imploding with all that #metoo stuff going on...) is in LA LA Land...

This is why I glanced over the L.A. part and just painted the people of California with the same brush. 

OK...what I just wrote is another pile of dog poo....but is it really?

Thor...

Norse God of thunder and lightning. So I get why the name.

Thor...

Quote

“We wanted to show the world that you don’t have to be a big original equipment manufacturer, like a Ford or GM, or a tech mogul with deep pockets to start making progress in this space,” wrote Semler. “With no outside funding, we assembled a team of experienced, gutsy, and passionate engineers and went to work researching and designing the ET-One in-house.”

 

This paragraph did not sit well with me.

1. Mentioning Ford and GM...

Ford and GM have not made class 8 trucks in several decades....if ever...

I know GM made military trucks that might or could be classified as class 8 trucks...but I dont think GM is in that game anymore.

So why even mention Ford or GM? 

To announce their superiority over Detroit?

THAT is why I mentioned Silicon Valley viewing Detroit as dinosaurs...

Yet Detroit was, is and continues to be AMERICAS HUB for mass production. Detroit was the home for the first mass produced automobiles and Detroit continues to be the forefront of mass production technology in the US...

GM and Ford DO have the money, technology, know-how and FACILITIES to BETTER mass produce shyte...on time, on schedule, with minimal quality issues that if any, could and would be corrected IMMEDIATELY to offer the WORLD a very competent product.

Ford and GM have the skills and manpower to do it.

NO....NO START-UP COULD challenge GM or Ford in THAT regard...

The other part of that paragraph that made me cringe is the tech-mogul stuff

Other than Tesla...and they are in production hell....and EVEN THEY GOT HELP FROM DETROIT TO HELP THEM GET STARTED IN MASS PRODUCTION with the Model S...there is NO OTHER TECH-MOGUL company that PRODUCES AUTOMOBILES...

Tech-Mogul companies in California....mass produce little electronic gimmick devices...in CHINA...

GM and Ford...have produced radios and dash board electronics for their cars a longer period of time than before there was a Silicon Valley in the first place. 

And sure...DELCO was a company that GM bought to produce these radios for them...it goes to show you how arrogant California based companies could be regarding how much tech Detroit really has under its belt...

And so...this rant has NOTHING to do with Tesla or Thor....

It just shows you how I feel about certain EV start-ups that are based in California...

Faraday Future...also based in Los Angeles...they arent doing so hot as of now either...

So...like I said...

Tesla...at least has more or less SUCCESSFULLY designed , produced and sold 3 models albeit with a few teething problems in the beginning but now those hiccups are more or less resolved. Roadster, Model S and Model X

They are now on their 4rth  with the Model 3...yes. Production hell.  Tesla probably will find a solution for that. If not....they wont see the light of day to get the semi-truck on line...

Thor....

Its a wait and see moment for me. Kinda like Faraday and its...um...future. 

 

 

 

 

 

[oldshurst442]

Tech-Mogul companies in California  want to act as if touch screens and multi-display screens and computers were invented in the late 1990s and early 2000s...

Yet Detroit saw this future way back in the mid 1980s...

And although Steve Jobs and other tech gurus were one of the reasons for this in the 1980s and 'twas these guys that started this technological revolution and they decided upon Silicon Valley to start their headquarters to spear what we got now in 2017...

Many dont realize that Detroit...even as battered that it was in the 1980s and even more so now...its still a city that has had 100 years of innovation...and that was 100 years in the 1980s...we are now in 2017...we could add another 30 years to that number...

Silicon Valley has a long ways to go...

What does that have to do with Thor?

Production.

Automobile production.

Mass production of said automobile.

Quote

“We wanted to show the world that you don’t have to be a big original equipment manufacturer, like a Ford or GM

 

Good luck to you...you are gonna need it!!!

[G. David Felt]

@oldshurst442 Nice Points made, I get what you mean. 

I think in regards to mentioning Ford or GM that they are just talking about mass production of an auto or truck, not specific to class 8 semi's. Course I could be wrong, but that is how I take it.

Still gonna be an interesting world to see what sticks and what does not. Seems to be the late 1800's early 1900's in plenty of EV startups trying to replace the old ICE auto companies.

[oldshurst442]

Dont get me wrong.

I want to EV start-up companies to succeed. Especially American ones...

Tesla, Faraday...Thor.

Its the arrogance that I cannot stomach.

I now see clearly why Elon is hated by some. I see the shenanigans. I see where Tesla falters. 

Balthy, Drew and yourself and even Ocnblu has given me insight and I have taken in that knowledge regarding EVs. (and other aspects of the car world) 

I still hold Tesla to a high regard, but I dont naively believe that they are without faults as I once believed BEFORE being a member of this website... which is a couple of years now.  (with much chagrin to some of you...)

EVs...

with me...it is an agenda and a hidden bias as to why I want them to be the future. 

Unlike certain parts of North America (Alberta or Texas for example), Quebec (where I live) has a tremendous amount of potential to benefit from the electric vehicle. Quebec is the second largest (China being the first) producer of hydro-electric power. Its a Provincially owned entity. The Province of Quebec stands to make a lot of money from EVs. That is good for the province and in turn good for Canada. And because Quebec will forever be the red-headed, troubled step-child in  Canadian politics, this will only strengthen the ties between the French and the English.  To the chagrin of Albertans who may feel as their oil is being ignored...but... Alberta has as many lakes and rivers as Quebec does...maybe they should focus on that instead of trying to extract oil fragments from sand...

Thor...

Its good that Thor will be giving Walmart and Pepsi and UPS and Anheuser-Busch another option if Tesla fails on their promise to deliver. 

Like you said...Ford and Leland and David Dunbar and Ransom Eli and the Dodge Brothers and Walther P. and Durant  all over again...

 

Edited December 21, 2017 by oldshurst442

[Robert Hall]

To come into an established product marketplace and try and challenge the status quo---to be 'disrupters' (as is said of tech startups), requires passionate, often arrogant, often flawed leaders.   That's the nature of the business.   

[oldshurst442]

2 hours ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

To come into an established product marketplace and try and challenge the status quo---to be 'disrupters' (as is said of tech startups), requires passionate, often arrogant, often flawed leaders.   That's the nature of the business.   

Sure...

I agree with that 1000%

Problem is...

 

I view professional athletes in the same manner.

 

But you know what this particular fella did in the 5th inning Game 3  of the 1932 World Series after he arrogantly signaled his next shot?

Or this fella?

 

Back to the business world

Steve Jobs was also an arrogant piece of shi...work. 

But he also disrupted the status quo time and time again with revolutionary stuff that altered the course of human history.  He talked the talk...but he also walked the walk. 

Gets fired from his own company because of his arrogance...

Preps up this company

And then finds himself being begged to come back to his former company and does this

With the last two products....he was laughed at by the whole world. He said that PCs...the machine he helped bring to life and into every 1st world home across the world, that PCs will be replaced by tablets...

He famously said this

By borrowing a similar phrase said by another arrogant man...from the automobile industry. Henry Ford.

But 100 plus years later and Henry's company is still alive and kicking...

These new tech gurus...including Elon Musk...just spew some words and they think that magically those words will come to life...

At least with Elon...Tesla is alive...kicking to stay above water...but non-the less still alive.

These modern tech gurus are less than Babe Ruth, but more like Casey in Mudville.

 

[ccap41]

13 hours ago, dfelt said:

CEO was at a former Truck company so I figure there has to be some know how about trucks.

Most employees at Tesla worked at car companies as well and they still have issues. 

 

13 hours ago, dfelt said:

Pricing right now for the 100 miles and 300 miles is equal to what Tesla is also asking in price,

Less range, same money. Why would that be considered then? 

[G. David Felt]

Seems Thor Trucks will beat Tesla as they start manufacturing of their inner city delivery trucks this summer.