New Electric Semi to Challenge Tesla

Love it or hate it, electric trucks keep coming. And now there’s a new player trying to challenge the Tesla Semi with a few ideas truckers might actually find interesting.

According to Overdrive, Horizon Motor unveiled its first production-ready Class 8 electric tractor, a truck the company says was designed after paying close attention to complaints drivers and fleets have had about other electric trucks already on the market. One of the most noticeable differences is the cab layout. Instead of a center-mounted driver’s seat like the Tesla Semi, Horizon went with a more traditional setup featuring two seats and a half-sleeper cab.

The truck is aimed at regional and shorter-haul operations rather than cross-country runs. According to Horizon, the tractor offers a claimed 350-mile range, uses a dual-plug CCS1 charging system, and has a curb weight of about 29,000 pounds. The truck shown at ACT Expo was the company’s first production unit and is headed to a California fleet for real-world testing. Horizon says customer deliveries could begin within roughly 120 to 150 days of ordering.

What may be even more interesting is what Horizon says is coming next. The company has announced plans to move toward solid-state batteries, which could significantly increase range or reduce battery weight compared to today’s packs. Horizon CEO Sean Jones told industry media that future versions could potentially offer the choice of carrying less battery weight or dramatically extending driving range as the technology matures.

For now, the Horizon truck joins a growing list of electric Class 8 models competing for fleet attention. Whether truckers embrace another electric semi remains to be seen, but Horizon is clearly betting that a more conventional cab design and a driver-focused approach will help it stand out from the crowd.

Watch Below:

So How Does It Compare to the Tesla Semi?

The obvious comparison is Tesla’s Semi, and the two trucks take very different approaches.

Horizon’s new electric tractor is aimed squarely at regional-haul fleets, offering a claimed 350 miles of range, a 29,000-pound curb weight, a traditional two-seat half-sleeper cab, and a 400-kWh LFP battery pack with CCS1 charging.

Tesla’s production Semi, meanwhile, is built with longer routes in mind. The Long Range model offers up to 500 miles of range at an 82,000-pound gross combined weight, uses an 822-kWh battery pack, and can charge at up to 1.2 megawatts, recovering roughly 60% of its range in about 30 minutes. Tesla also uses its distinctive center-seat cab layout rather than a traditional driver-and-passenger setup.

For truckers, the biggest difference may come down to philosophy. Horizon is betting drivers and fleets will prefer a familiar cab design and a simpler regional-haul package, while Tesla is chasing maximum range, ultra-fast charging, and a completely different driving experience. Whether fleets value the extra 150 miles of range or the more conventional cab setup remains to be seen

What do you think? Would you rather have a traditional two-seat cab, or do you like the center-seat design used by the Tesla Semi?

Original story by Overdrive.