The upcoming Tesla Semi could face serious competition from an unlikely but promising Chinese rival: Windrose.
While Tesla continues Semi testing in select parts of the US, Windrose, founded in March 2022 by Stanford MBA graduate Wen Han, aims to disrupt the battery-electric vehicle (BEV) Class 8 truck market with a vehicle which, from several angles inside and out, looks similar to the Tesla, but has several key differences prospective fleet customers may find too good to ignore.
"Windrose can actually do for trucking in the US and Europe what Tesla did in China, [which is] bring something globally competitive into a market and spur the competition to make the market better," said Jason Roycht, strategic advisor for Windrose, in conversation with Clean Trucking.
Bold goals
The startup claims it's the first to design a ground-up, clean-slate, zero-emissions, battery-electric long-haul truck for the global market.
Its objective is simple: to offer a next-generation Class 8 electric semi that's better than diesel and other BEV rivals in terms of both cost and quality.
The Windrose long-haul electric truck is equipped with a 729 kWh battery, an 800V high-voltage platform capable of megawatt-level dual-inlet charging, a drag coefficient of 0.2755, and an impressive loaded autonomous range of 670 km (416 miles) with a gross weight of 49 tons (98,000 lbs.).
For comparison, the Tesla Semi will be available with a choice of two battery sizes (500 kWh and 800 kWh), a drag coefficient of 0.35 to 0.36, a 1,000V powertrain charging system, a maximum 500-mile range, and a gross weight of 82,000. The manufacturer has yet to disclose final figures.
A complete list of specifications for both vehicles is not expected until sometime next year.
[Related: Tesla Semi program manager gives most detailed update on its BEV to date]
Competitive pricing is also essential. Windrose is targeting an approximate $250,000 base price but there's another plaguing issue: possible US and European market lockout, a situation currently affecting Chinese automakers, such as BYD, who've been trying for years to enter the US auto market. These Chinese-built passenger cars are highly government subsidized, which puts them at an unfair advantage against America-built and other imported European and Asian brands.
Last May, the US government raised tariffs on Chinese-built passenger EVs to 100%.
"It’d be a real shame if [the truck] is locked out or the US becomes a closed market, Roycht added. "Does this approach make the market stronger? That strategy actually produces the opposite result. It’s an interesting position."
Windrose's planned solution is to build a network of global factories, including in the US and Europe, most likely in Georgia and Belgium, respectively. A formal announcement has not been made. The Georgia plant, Roycht says, will handle final assembly. Key components, including the battery and chassis, will probably be manufactured in China and imported stateside, though this could change in the future.
"We’re in the middle of deciding things, [including] securing agreements in both [the US and Europe]," Roycht said. "Will we import trucks at first? Possibly. We're balancing the time to enter the markets. Having a plant is the easy part [and we're] in it for the long-haul. We are going to be producing trucks around the world."
Not a Tesla clone
The design similarities between the Windrose and Tesla Semi are immediately apparent, specifically the center driver's seating position and overall exterior aerodynamics. Windrose says both are necessary for maximum efficiency.
"Eventually, everyone is going to have the center seating position and people will have to get used to it," Roycht clarified. "There’s no way to have an aerodynamic truck without it because the windscreen is so far forward. [Otherwise], you'll end up with an impractical design and a huge blind spot at the front end."
Some truck drivers have expressed concern the center seat will make some tasks more challenging, such as paying tolls. However, Roycht explained this won't be an issue when tolls are paid digitally. The company recently performed a New York to Los Angeles test run and, according to Roycht, "there was not a single [cash required] toll. Every toll booth was automated."
Unlike the Tesla, the Windrose's windows roll down. The center seating position also improves visibility. Windrose plans to utilize cameras instead of physical side mirrors (which decrease aero efficiency) but they won't be available at launch because of existing US laws. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is currently experimenting with mirrorless cameras on trucks but physical mirrors remain required for now.
"A 2025 launch remains on schedule. We still need to go through homologation, regulations, repair, and maintenance procedures," Roycht said. "There's no shortage of customer interest," though he did not elaborate.
The Windrose semi could become one of the most formidable threats to the Tesla Semi, though legacy OEMs, specifically Volvo, Daimler, and Peterbilt already sell battery-electric long-haul semis. They have no intention of letting Tesla - or anyone else - fully dominate.
Windrose appears to have done its homework and is determined to succeed outside of China but breaking into an established and competitive commercial trucking market won't be easy. It remains to be seen whether it'll pass the test.
