Tesla Semi enters high-volume production, nine years after its reveal

Tesla has started high-volume production of its Semi electric truck at a dedicated factory in Sparks, Nevada, and begun deliveries to a wider group of customers, almost nine years after the truck was unveiled.

The plant was inaugurated at an invite-only event on Thursday, US time. It is designed to build up to 50,000 trucks a year, but Tesla did not say how many it is building now, and did not disclose pricing. Every version of the truck, including the European-specification model, will come off the same line.

Elon Musk addressed the event in a pre-recorded video. “We’re super excited to start production with the Tesla Semi truck and this is really going to be a revolutionary truck that is capable of carrying the heaviest loads over very long distances,” he said. “It’s going to make a ton of sense economically because the cost of electricity per mile is much less than the cost of diesel, especially in these crazy times.” He urged fleet operators to place orders, saying the waiting list was already “pretty significant”. Diesel prices in the United States are at record highs.

The Semi is offered in Standard Range and Long Range versions, rated at up to 325 miles (about 520km) and 500 miles (about 800km), both with an 800kW three-motor powertrain and the driver seated in the centre of the cab. Tesla has quoted prospective buyers US$250,000 (about NZ$440,000 at current exchange rates) for the Standard Range and US$290,000 (about NZ$510,000) for the Long Range before taxes, Electrek reported in February, against the US$150,000 (about NZ$265,000) and US$180,000 (about NZ$320,000) the company listed in 2017.

Trucks in the colours of PepsiCo, US Foods, DHL, WattEV, ABF, Einride and other fleets were lined up outside the plant for the event. Einride has committed to 500 trucks, and this week Tesla was named primary supplier for a 2,500-truck order from ZET SCALE, a programme backed by Microsoft and PepsiCo that also includes Kenworth, Volvo and RIDE. Tesla says it will also use the Semi to haul its own freight.

The truck was unveiled in November 2017 with production expected in 2019. Tesla delivered hand-built trucks to PepsiCo from December 2022, and the first truck came off the new high-volume line in April.

A European-specification Semi was shown at IAA Transportation in Hannover on 15 September, with up to 550km of range fully loaded and deliveries there targeted for late 2027. Tesla has also confirmed Full Self-Driving (Supervised) is coming to the Semi. It has not announced the truck for Australia or New Zealand.

Tesla’s next launch is the second-generation Roadster on 1 October, for which New Zealand reservations are already open.