Tesla will reveal its first electric big-rig tonight — here's what to look for (TSLA)

Tesla semitruck

Tesla

• Tesla's big rig will likely redefine the large tractor-trailer for the future.

• Expect a futuristic prototype, complete with a spaceship-like cab and a huge battery.

• Ironically, the freight business might be a better fit for Tesla's technologies than the mass market for passenger cars.

• Market-watchers are divided on whether this is a good move for Tesla.

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Tesla will reveal its big-rig semi-trailer in Los Angeles on Thursday evening, and I'll be at SpaceX headquarters to check it out. Check back with Business Insider for full coverage.

The Tesla semi was anything but a 10-4-good-buddy move for Tesla. While many observers expected a pickup truck to join the car maker's lineup of all-electric vehicles, the big rig was a surprise.

A logical one, however, as many sustainable mobility experts have for years argued that the best application for electric vehicles isn't personal transportation but rather freight. We move stuff around on the world's highways using largely Class-8 diesel rigs. Subtract those emissions and the fight against global warming, which Tesla CEO Elon Musk takes very seriously, is a large step closer to winning.

Big rigs are already cool — there's a reason why little kids always want drivers to blow their trucks' massive air horns when they pass them on the freeway. Tesla's interpretation of a machine defined by the Macks and Peterbilts should be plenty interesting.

Here's what we expect to see:

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

See Also:

• Mercedes is quietly becoming Tesla’s biggest rival

• Carmakers are fighting for a $7,500 electric-car credit that the GOP tax bill would kill

• Tesla just bought an automation company to help it build the factory of the future — here's what we know about it

SEE ALSO: Tesla is taking the edge off its cars' insane acceleration with a new software update

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