Tesla just unveiled its first electric semi — and it looks like a spaceship (TSLA)

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November 17, 2017 5:02 AM

Tesla CEO Elon Musk took the wraps off its first electric semi-truck on Thursday. The vehicle has impressive safety features and a stunning design.

Tesla unveiled its semi on Thursday evening.
The big rig has an impressive range of 500 miles per charge.
Tesla will begin production of the vehicle in 2019.

Tesla is getting into the trucking business. On Thursday, CEO Elon Musk took the wraps off the company's first electric big rig, a semi the company claims is safer and more efficient than any diesel-powered heavy duty truck on the market. (Tesla also unveiled a working prototype of its new Roadster. You can read more about that here.)

Here's a basic breakdown of some its key features:

But one of the truck's most striking features is the interior of the vehicle, which is designed specifically for the driver.

For starters, there's enough room in the cabin for the driver to stand. And instead of the driver position being on the left, Tesla has centered it so that the driver has better visibility all around the vehicle.

Two touchscreen displays, one on each side of the driver seat, provide access to things like navigation and blind spot monitoring.

Tesla's big rig also comes with built-in connectivity, which allows the truck to seamlessly integrate with the fleet's management system to help with routing and scheduling.

Among its other high-tech features, the truck has Enhanced Autopilot which enables automatic braking, lane keeping, and lane departure warning. Cameras on the outside of the vehicle also help detect blind spots and alert the driver when there is a dangerous situation.

Tesla, though, isn't the only automaker making a push into electric trucks. Earlier this year, Daimler also showed off an electric heavy duty truck concept that has a range of 220 miles per charge. However, the company has not said when the truck would hit the market.

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