If we isolate the battery pack cost it is likely between $100,000 and $150,000. This comes from some data suggesting Tesla was purchasing cells around $140/kWh

If we isolate the battery pack cost it is likely between $100,000 and $150,000. This comes from some data suggesting Tesla was purchasing cells around $140/kWh a year ago. Lets assume the rest of the truck costs the same (it won’t) and the Tesla Semi is $100,000 to $150,000 more expensive than another diesel Semi truck. Average semi trucks get 6.5 miles per gallon and diesel fuel is around $5.00 per gallon right now. This translates to 77 cents a mile in fuel. Tesla semi uses 2kWh per mile. We can assume a hefty 20 cents/kWh price for commercial off peak power which translates to 40 cents a mile. With a delta of 37 cents a mile the $100,000 to $150,000 expense is paid off in ~300,00 to ~400,000 miles. Semi trucks are built to last around 750,000 to 1 million miles and drive an average of ~50,000 miles a year. Thus the payback comes in around year 6 or 7 of a ~15 year lifespan.