The takeaway: Tesla has begun quantity manufacturing of the Semi, its battery-electric heavy truck, at a brand new facility subsequent to Gigafactory Nevada. The launch marks a extra critical industrial section for the Semi after years of delays. The corporate says the primary Semis produced on the new manufacturing unit at the moment are being delivered to clients.
The Sparks, Nevada, plant can finally produce 50,000 vehicles a 12 months, or about 1,000 every week, in keeping with Tesla. Earlier than this milestone, the corporate delivered a small variety of vehicles to PepsiCo in 2022, however these autos had been constructed on a pilot line.
Tesla used an occasion on the manufacturing unit to spotlight modifications made to the truck’s battery, powertrain, and charging system. It additionally named clients that embrace PepsiCo, US Meals, DHL, WattEV, ABF Freight, Einride, IMC Logistics, and OK Produce.
The Semi will probably be bought in two variations. Tesla lists the Normal Vary mannequin at 325 miles of vary when hauling a full 82,000-pound gross mixture weight trailer. The Lengthy Vary mannequin is rated for 500 miles below the identical situations. Tesla executives mentioned the Lengthy Vary truck may attain about 600 miles with a lighter load of roughly 60,000 kilos.
– Tesla Semi (@tesla_semi) September 25, 2026
Tesla has not launched present costs or whole reservation figures. When the corporate launched the Semi in 2017, it set the beginning value at $150,000 for a 300-mile model and $180,000 for a 500-mile model. Electrek reported earlier this 12 months that Tesla was quoting some clients about $290,000 for the 500-mile truck.
The manufacturing Semi makes use of Tesla’s 4680 battery cells slightly than the 2170 cells utilized in earlier check autos. Tesla says the truck’s battery pack has 822 kWh of capability. The corporate says it has lowered the truck’s power consumption to about 1,700 watt-hours per mile when totally loaded, down from an unique goal of two,000 Wh/mile.
These effectivity positive factors are necessary as a result of they permit Tesla to make use of a lighter battery pack whereas sustaining its vary goal. The corporate additionally mentioned it minimize practically 1,000 kilos from the truck throughout improvement.
Tesla additionally reworked the drive system. The sooner design used a carbon-fiber-sleeved rotor. The manufacturing model makes use of a steel-caged rotor and a bar-wound stator that Tesla additionally makes use of within the Cybertruck. Tesla says the redesigned drive axle is about 80 kilograms lighter.
The corporate additionally simplified the truck’s lubrication system. The hub now not makes use of oil, whereas the motor and gearbox share a single oil provide. Tesla says that oil ought to final greater than 250,000 miles.
The Semi now has redundant electrical energy steering as an alternative of hydraulic steering. Tesla says the brand new system offers drivers higher response and management. It additionally permits a tighter wheel minimize, which the corporate says brings the Semi’s turning radius near that of a Mannequin Y. That might matter in crowded industrial yards, metropolis streets, and loading docks.
– Teslasti Basti (@BastianBraun121) September 11, 2026
Tesla has additionally carried over parts of the Cybercab’s thermal-management system. The Semi makes use of an oblique system with pumps, compressors, and warmth exchangers that handle temperatures throughout the cab, battery, and drive unit. Tesla says the design reduces the quantity of refrigerant plumbing wanted all through the car and might transfer warmth the place it’s wanted.
Charging stays one of many bigger questions across the truck. A Semi’s 822-kWh pack requires way more energy to cost than a passenger EV. Tesla is constructing Megacharger stations that may present as a lot as 1.2 megawatts per stall. On the occasion, Tesla confirmed a truck charging from 3% to 60% in about half-hour.
The corporate says it plans to have greater than 30 Semi charging areas, with over 200 megawatt-capable charging posts, by the tip of the 12 months. It additionally expects fleet operators to put in in a single day charging gear at their very own services.
Tesla is pitching the Semi as a fleet product with distant diagnostics, cell service, over-the-air updates, and driver profiles that may observe drivers from one truck to a different. It says its present Semi fleet has recorded greater than 98% uptime.
– Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) September 15, 2026
Some fleet operators have already positioned giant orders. Einride introduced a 500-truck deal in August. IMC Logistics mentioned this week that it plans to purchase 50 Semis for California drayage work. A shipper coalition additionally chosen Tesla to offer 2,500 vehicles for zero-emission freight operations in California.
Tesla argues that electrical vehicles can value much less to function than diesel fashions as a result of they require much less upkeep and are much less uncovered to swings in gasoline costs. “You realize, volatility within the oil market and the diesel market goes up and down,” Tesla Vice President of Engineering Lars Moravy instructed The Verge. “However usually, we have seen within the historical past of the final 20 years, electrical energy is fairly flat. And would not it’s nice to have a flat value in your transport charges?”
