In April, Tesla said its first Semi rolled off its production line in a new factory next to Gigafactory Nevada in Sparks.
Tesla Inc.
Tesla Inc. says it is now producing up to 1,000 Semi trucks a week as it works to serve customers including PepsiCo, DHL and US Foods.
CEO Elon Musk, who unveiled the electric big rig in 2017 with production promised for 2019, said the Semi is a truck that drivers will cling to for its ease of use and comfort. He also told potential customers they can dodge the high price of diesel fuel, which is at record highs in the U.S.
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“It’s almost like a sports car in truck form, so it’s going to be the funnest truck to drive,” he said in a pre-recorded video shown at the launch event. “This is really going to be a game-changer truck, and also 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.”
Tesla did not disclose pricing. But a Tesla Semi with a 500-mile loaded range will reportedly sell for $300,000 while one with a 300-mile range could sell for about $260,000. The company said the vehicles reach up to 60% of their range after 30 minutes of charging.
New diesel-fueled trucks sell for between $130,000 and $300,000, depending on configuration, with a range from 1,000 to 1,500 miles.
Thad Ayres, Tesla Semi Service senior manager, drives a Tesla Semi during a Zero Emission Vehicle Workshop in April in Grand Prairie.
Chitose Suzuki/Dallas Morning News
Musk said Tesla’s self-driving features will be available on Semi.
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Its Full Self-Driving system is under investigation by federal regulators over its performance in low visibility conditions and multiple traffic safety violations. The company has been ordered to submit documents on its internal evaluations of the system and discussions of radar, which is used by the Austin company’s competitors to help assess the distance and speed of other objects. Radar is also effective in rain, fog, and snow. Tesla has requested extensions of the deadline for providing the documents.
The Tesla Semi is being produced at a dedicated factory in Sparks, Nev., that Tesla said can produce 50,000 electric trucks per year. But the company’s Austin factory also plays a role, said Dan Priestley, director of the Semi program.
“We bring in cells, our in-house-made battery cells from Gigafactory Texas, and the plan is to unload them automatically, automated from the trailer,” Priestley said. “They get stationed and then they get consumed by the line again, fully automated, all the way to the point that then they drive off the line, and at no point is there any human intervention or touch point.”
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The first Tesla Semi rolled off the line in May. Dozens of them are expected to be operating in Texas by next year.
Autonomous and electric trucking company Einride, which has its U.S. headquarters in Austin, is set to deploy 500 Tesla Semi trucks on its fleet intelligence platform across freight corridors in Texas, California, New Jersey, Illinois and Georgia.
A young visitor looks at a 40%-scale model of a Tesla Semi on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles in 2023. The Austin automaker said its new factory in Nevada reached a production milestone with assistance from Gigafactory Texas in Austin.
Richard Vogel/AP
Ahead of the launch event, Tesla announced that it is the primary original equipment manufacturer for the initial 2,500 trucks for the largest electric truck order to date in the U.S. Shippers in the alliance behind the order include Microsoft Corp. and PepsiCo. Inc., which Priestley said will get a “new competitive edge” through the predictability that electricity provides.
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Other features of the Tesla Semi include driver profiles for easy adjustment of seat, mirrors and user interface settings and a trip planner that provides updates and charging information. It shares the same thermal system as Cybercab.
“We’re bringing in everything we’ve had in the automotive fleet to the Semi,” said Lars Moravy, vice president of engineering.
The Tesla Semi launch is the latest in a series of events for the company’s newest vehicles, even as Musk insists Tesla isn’t just a vehicle company. Earlier this month, it launched its Cybercab at an event in downtown Austin. On Thursday, Tesla is expected to unveil its next-generation Roadster at SpaceX rocket test facilities in McGregor. Musk is also CEO of the Starbase space company.
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