Geely is the Chinese automaker that Owns Polestar and Volvo
The Geely Semi should reach production in 2024
Tesla has announced its electric semi in 2017 but production has been delayed until at least 2023
Geely has just announced its intention to produce an electric semi-truck that will compete with the Tesla Semi that was announced 4 years ago.
The Chinese company recently showed a prototype of its truck and it expects production to begin in 2024.
The truck will be sold by the automaker’s Farizon Auto commercial vehicle division under the Homtruck name.
The Homtruck will be available with different powertrain configuration and the choice between methanol hybrid and fully electric. Geely has invested in methanol powered batteries for a few years now and they could be used in the truck. In addition, the batteries should be swappable, which reduces the downtime and allows the trucks to be productive instead of having to stop for hours to charge their batteries.
The truck is also intended to become autonomous in the coming years, with Geely planning on achieving partial driverless capabilities by 2023 and more advanced systems by 2026. 2030 should see fully driverless Homtrucks on the roads.
In the mean time, drivers have not been forgotten, since the trucks will be equipped with a bed, a shower, a toilet, a kitchen area and even a washing machine.
Geely intends to target the global market with this truck and the company confirmed its intention to bring it to North America.
This could be detrimental to Tesla, whose Semi is now due to begin production in 2023 but could very well arrive on the market later than the Homtruck if it gets additional delays.