Thor Trucks reveals electric semi-truck to take on Tesla Semi

Tesla, now Thor, it's enough to send chills down the spine of companies like Freightliner (Mercedes) who are still making those air pollution spewing inferior diesels

Tesla has already received a healthy stream of pre-orders for its electric semi-truck, but a new California company will offer an alternative. Thor Trucks revealed its first all-electric semi on Wednesday and it boasts promising specs in an attempt to rival the Tesla Semi.

Thor calls its electric truck the ET-One and it will supposedly arrive with a 300-mile range, an 80,000-pound load, and a top speed of 70 mph. Note: the range doesn't eclipse the Tesla Semi's claimed figure of 500 miles, but its pound-load matches it. Thor also said the ET-One will cost $150,000, which pegs it squarely as a Tesla competitor. The Silicon Valley automaker's truck will likely cost between $150,000 and $180,000.

Thor won't have just Tesla to deal with. Two other big names have shown off their own all-electric semi-trucks, too. Daimler revealed the the E-Fuso Vision One with a 217-mile range and Cummins beat Tesla to the electric-semi punch when it debuted the Urban Hauler Tractor with a 100-mile range. Unlike Thor, Tesla, or Daimler, Cummins said its electric powertrain can be paired to a diesel engine to act as a range extender for about 300 miles of total range.

Mean and lean, but inferior to the Tesla

Looking at pound-load ratings, the ET-One stacks up well against the others. The E-Fuso will manage just 22,000 pounds, while Cummins signaled the ability to handle 44,000 pounds. We also think the Thor semi looks pretty cool in its own way–perhaps a bit sinister even.

California entrepreneur Dakota Semler founded Thor just last year and it's unclear when the ET-One will be ready for production. However, in a sign of good faith, the company's website invites fleet owners to experience a demo of the truck ahead of production. There's still time for someone to take the lead in electric semis since Tesla quotes a 2019 production timeline for its Semi. We all know how accurate Tesla production timelines are. MotorAuthority