250 miles could be adequate. For smaller trucks, yes. Class 8, I’m not sure. How do you know, Paperchaser? I’d say it’s likely existing OEMs stumbled into short range based on previous EV efforts and supply chain for batteries and charging.
Without doxxing myself completely, I work in R&D for a global OEM that's centered around providing powertrains for commercial vehicles. On-highway trucking in North America is a very large piece of that pie. We unveiled a BEV semi platform before the Tesla Semi was originally shown back in 2017. Our product portfolio currently includes ICE with multiple fuels (and more on the way), hybrid, PHEV, and BEV power, as well as hydrogen fuel cells.
You can therefore consider me to be a bit biased I suppose, but I also probably know more about the nuances of this sector than your average internet commenter too. I interact with executives from lots of commercial OEMs several times per year, so I hear what does and does not work for them, what their concerns are, and I see what they're indicating interest in for the future and how they spend their money.
What has been clarified for me in recent years is that the carbon neutral future of work is going to require different options for different jobs. People see big semis or other work vehicles and assume that because they all currently use diesel that there will be one energy source for all work in the future but different options that are optimized for different jobs or duty cycles will get us carbon neutral much sooner than putting all of our chips into the BEV basket. Batteries currently work pretty well for buses and short range stuff like the Orange yard hauler I linked. And the BEV pilot testing programs that I'm aware of for many other machines and duty cycles have been very mixed.
A 27k lb day cab with 500 miles of range might work for a few fleets right now. It might even be ideal for a couple**. But in my opinion it's not likely to be a game changer for all of the trucking market as they currently use their products which is the way it's being marketed and presented in the media. A less expensive option with lower weight and shorter range would probably be received better by fleet managers due to improved cost of ownership and broader appeal.
**Note that one of the Tesla Semis shown for Pepsi was displayed with Frito~Lay markings (FL is a Pepsi subsidiary). It's going to haul loads of lightweight snacks, so the weight of the cab is less critical. But Pepsico also hauls much heavier loads full of beverages, which might require a truck cab that's not so heavy. Having options isn't a bad thing, but it illustrates that there isn't really a one-size fits all solution, even within the same company doing the same basic trips because the size and weight of the loads and the specifics of the routes can vary so much.
