The Tesla Semi is getting recalled for faulty parking brakes

By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN

Tesla has issued a recall for 35 of its new electric Semi trucks because the parking brake might not engage when applied by the driver.

Tesla is not aware of any crashes or injuries that the problem might have caused.

The danger, caused by a valve module that could leak air, is that the truck could roll away if the driver parks the truck or takes their foot off the brake believing that the parking brake is activated.

Bendix, a Tesla parts supplier. informed the automaker of a possible problem on February 13, according to paperwork posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website. Tesla investigated the issue and, ultimately, decided to file a recall on 35 of the large electric trucks.

Tesla delivered its first Semi trucks only late last year to PepsiCo, five years after the truck was first unveiled. PepsiCo reportedly has 36 of the trucks but Tesla has not said, in total, how many of trucks have been produced or delivered. The automaker, which generally does not respond to inquiries from the media, did not answer an email asking for more information about the truck. PepsiCo also did not immediately respond to a request for information about its Tesla Semi truck fleet.

There have been numerous reports of Tesla Semi trucks apparently breaking down on the road. Tesla has also faced a number of other recalls, some of which could be fixed by a simple over-the-air software update but others that would require mechanical work at a service center.

Besides being fully electric, the Tesla Semi also has an unusual design in which the driver sits in the center of the cab rather on one side. Tesla claims it can drive 500 miles on a fully charged battery and can pull a load of as much as 82,000 pounds.

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