Almost nine years after introducing the Semi and approximately four years after delivering the first individual units, Tesla has delivered several series production models to its customers. Delivery took place at Semi’s new facility in Nevada, which was built specifically for the electric truck. According to Tesla, the event also marks the start of higher volume production.
The factory is designed to house up to 50,000 vehicles per year, with an approximate area of 167,000 square meters. The same production line will manufacture the Standard and Long Range versions, as well as the variant intended for Europe.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk was not present at the delivery, but addressed attendees via video message. He highlighted aspects such as autonomy, fast recharging and lower energy costs, and mentioned an already “long waiting list” for the Semi. However, Tesla did not reveal specific order numbers during the event.
The technical presentation was given by Tesla directors Lars Moravy and Dan Priestley, who also talked about the changes compared to the prototype presented in 2017. At the end of the event, representatives of a dozen customers received their vehicles or delivery documents.
Large orders put pressure on increased production
The start of series production coincides with a recent significant increase in demand. Just this week, Tesla was selected as the main supplier in a tender by the US purchasing alliance ZET SCALE for a total of 2,500 Class 8 electric trucks. However, it is still unclear how many of these will actually be delivered as Tesla Semi units, as Kenworth, Volvo and RIDE are also listed as suppliers.
In addition, there are orders for 500 Semi units from Einride and 50 vehicles from IMC Logistics. This increases pressure on Tesla to reach the announced production capacity. However, the company did not provide details on the current production rate or specific volume targets for 2026 and 2027 during the delivery event. The selling price of the Semi is also not revealed. Tesla originally introduced the vehicle in 2017, but only delivered the first units to select customers in late 2022. The now-launched boost aims to bring the Semi to market in larger quantities for the first time.
For Europe, Tesla recently announced that deliveries will begin in 2027. Initially, vehicles for the European market will also be manufactured in Nevada. Musk had previously mentioned the possibility of further production at the Tesla factory in Grünheide.
reuters.com, cnbc.com
