Tesla wants to abuse the Semi, and they want you to do it

Tesla wants to torture test the Semi as it is hiring a Senior Test Engineer for Abuse Test & Engineering for the all-electric Class 8 vehicle.

The job is out of Fremont, California, where the company builds all four of its signature models, the Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X. The Semi is built at a lowkey facility near the Gigafactory in Reno, Nevada.

However, Tesla is looking to “test a variety of electrically abusive scenarios for power electronics and battery systems,” hoping to obtain information that would help understand why the systems might break down during day-to-day use as a logistics transport.

Tesla Semi’s intense, all-terrain testing is not for the faint of heart

Tesla says in the job posting:

“In the Abuse Testing & Engineering group, we push energy storage and power electronics to their limits and beyond using specialized equipment to apply electrical, mechanical, and thermal stresses. Our goal is to provide rapid feedback to inform designs early in development, by understanding how robust systems perform under abusive conditions. We accommodate external regulations but have a strong focus on internal requirements and test to failure.”

Semi-trucks are some of the most heavily used vehicles on the road, and drivers can operate them for 600, or in some cases, more, miles a day. They are subjected to all types of weather scenarios, tough terrain, and other situations that can prevent things from going smoothly.

The job lists the following as the responsibilities:

• Engage electronics and battery pack teams to understand and prioritize test needs
• Create test plans and execute tests such as FET shoot-through, overvoltage, overcurrent, arc flash, electrical joints failure, or conductive fluid exposure.
• Develop sub-pack-scale tests to study novel failure modes with higher fidelity
• Develop any new test equipment needed to conduct tests
• Anticipate and mitigate test execution hazards
• Share results and maintain documentation to be easily referenced by other teams
• Recreate field incidents and suggest countermeasures

The Semi is still rolling out in a controlled manner and is making its way to more customers and being added to company fleets.

Yesterday, we reported on NFI using several Semi units in its fleet and sharing valuable information on its efficiency.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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