Tesla Semi close to production
The Tesla Semi truck is rumoured to be nearing production after a string of delays since its first unveilingin 2017.
That’s according to a new report by Electrek based on “sources familiar with the matter”.
It claims the drive axle production line is ready and the general assembly line is going through its final stages at the Nevada-based Gigafactory with plans to make five electric trucks per week.
When launching the Tesla Semi in November 2017, chief executive Elon Musk said the trucks would “look like a bullet” as part of a design to reduce drag.
They are expected to reach zero to 100 km/h in five seconds, have up to 800km in range and pull a maximum allowable load of over 36,000kgs.
Prices for the Semi, depending on range options, are expected to be US$150,000 and US$180,000.
However, delivery dates have been delayed as Tesla originally said the truck would come to market in 2019.
It is already taking pre-orders from major companies and food and beverage corporation PepsiCo placed one of the largest early orders for 100 Tesla Semis.
Walmart Canada is another firm that has placed a large reservation for the truck and last month more than tripled its order to 130 units.
There have been few updates on the model and in a leaked email revealed in June last year, Musk told employees it’s “time to go all out and bring the Tesla Semi to volume production”.
One of the last official comments on the truck was in the Q4 earnings call in January this year. Musk said the Semi was on hold until Tesla can make a high volume of its new 4680 battery cells. The company said it hoped to deliver its first Semi by the end of 2021.
There have also been very few sightings of Tesla Semi protypes on the road. One of the first spotted was posted on YouTube in January 2018 showing the all-electric truck driving down a public street in Sunnyvale, California near Tesla’s headquarters in Palo Alto and its Fremont factory.
Another prototype was photographed last year showing it delivering Model 3 and Model Y cars.
It was also reported this year that Tesla asked Australian law makers to change its heavy vehicle dimension rules which it warned were not suitable for the Semi truck.
This should not impact the New Zealand market which has allowed heavy freight vehicles to operate at 2.55m in width without restriction since 2017.
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