Tesla is stepping deeper into the trucking market, opening its Nevada factory for high-volume Semi production and beginning deliveries to a new group of customers this week.
The move comes nearly nine years after CEO Elon Musk unveiled the electric heavy-duty truck, as Tesla seeks to expand beyond passenger vehicles and capitalize on growing interest in electric freight trucks.
Tesla did not disclose the Semi’s pricing or initial production volume at a factory event Thursday but reiterated plans to produce 50,000 trucks annually at the Nevada plant.
Musk did not attend the event but appeared in a recorded video message and encouraged customers to place orders, saying the waiting list was already significant.
Customers including PepsiCo, DHL and US Foods were represented at the event, with trucks carrying their logos displayed outside the facility.
The Semi’s long-range version can travel up to 500 miles on a full charge when loaded, while the standard version has an estimated range of 325 miles, according to Tesla.
“That’s 500 real-world miles. Our customers have validated it,” said Dan Priestley, Tesla’s director of Semi truck engineering.
Priestley said the company expects the plant to produce about 1,000 Semis a week during its ramp-up, eventually reaching the 50,000-unit annual target. Tesla also expects the expansion to create more than 3,000 jobs in Nevada.
Delayed launch, growing demand
Tesla unveiled the Semi in 2017 and originally expected production to begin in 2019. Limited deliveries to customers including PepsiCo began in late 2022, but broader production was delayed for several years.
Tesla’s July shareholder letter said Semi production would begin in 2026, replacing an earlier target for volume production this year. The first truck eventually rolled off the high-volume production line in April.
Despite the delays and growing competition in electric trucking, recent orders point to rising commercial interest in the vehicle.
Industry coalition ZET SCALE said this week it had selected Tesla as its primary original equipment manufacturer for an initial order of 2,500 Semis. The group plans to pursue more than 10,000 electric trucks from multiple manufacturers.
Swedish freight technology company Einride also announced last month that it had agreed to order 500 Tesla Semis for its fleet, with some deployments planned this month.
Tesla pushes autonomous trucking
Tesla is also looking to make autonomous driving a key part of the Semi’s future. Musk said in July that Full Self-Driving technology would become available for the truck but did not provide a specific launch date.
Meanwhile, competitors including Aurora Innovation and Kodiak AI are already testing driverless trucks and hauling cargo for commercial partners.
Priestley said Semi trucks operating in fleet service have demonstrated 98% uptime and rarely require unscheduled maintenance. Tesla is also establishing a dedicated service network, including mobile technicians for repairs.
The company plans to expand the Semi into Europe, where manufacturers including Volvo and Daimler Truck already sell battery-electric heavy-duty trucks.
