Tesla handed over the first production models of its all-electric Semi truck to customers on Thursday night at an event in Reno, Nevada. The deliveries follow nearly a decade of revisions and delays after the company first unveiled the heavy vehicle in 2017.
Ars Technica reported that company executives presented the truck to customers, workers, and industry figures at a newly built facility adjacent to Tesla's first Gigafactory. Tesla plans to build as many as 50,000 trucks annually at the site, which equates to roughly 1,000 per week, while creating 3,000 jobs for the area. The longest-range version is designed to travel 500 miles or more on a single charge depending on freight weight, with pricing expected just below $300,000 before incentives. Tesla also intends to sell shorter-range variants.
Engineering revisions
Tesla originally aimed to start Semi production in 2019, but parts shortages, supply disruptions, and modifications based on pilot testing postponed the schedule. Lars Moravy, who leads Tesla's vehicle engineering, and Dan Priestley, head of the Semi program, outlined several mechanical overhauls made during the delay. The company removed approximately 1,000 pounds of weight from the initial configuration and redesigned the drive axle to use a single lubricant instead of three distinct oils.
The company also replaced the original pop-out side windows with traditional roll-down glass. Priestley acknowledged that the original setup proved impractical for drivers interacting with toll booths, security badge scanners, and intercom call boxes. The presentation itself ran for 30 minutes, during which a connected Semi charged from 3% to 60% capacity using one of Tesla's megawatt charging units.
Economics and automation
Fleet operators face continuing hurdles with megawatt charging infrastructure, though customers may take delivery as their facilities become ready. Tesla executives did not publish a final list price during the presentation, instead highlighting operating efficiencies. Priestley noted that heavy trucks generate 16% of vehicle emissions despite representing 1% of vehicles on roadways.
Elon Musk did not attend the presentation in person due to a state dinner in Washington with Chinese Premier Xi Jinping and President Trump. In a prerecorded video played before the event, Musk asserted that the vehicle makes economic sense due to electricity costs relative to diesel. Musk added that partial vehicle automation features, which remain absent from the delivery models, will arrive on the Semi in the near future.
