Here’s the Tesla Semi… again

Tesla formally demonstrated the Semi at its new dedicated Semi factory beside Gigafactory Nevada as part of an event aimed at signaling that the long-delayed heavy-duty truck has reached volume production. The company says the Sparks facility can produce up to 50,000 Semis a year, or roughly 1,000 trucks per week. Tesla showcased a slate of customers — both newly announced and previously reported — and confirmed first deliveries began that week. Tesla presented two production trims: a Standard Range model rated at about 325 miles at a full 82,000-pound gross combination weight, and a Long Range version rated at 500 miles. The automaker emphasized that the 500-mile figure applies to fully loaded trucks; Tesla engineers also suggested a lighter 60,000-pound load case could extend range to about 600 miles. The company said it reduced vehicle mass by nearly 1,000 pounds during the last three years of development. Engineering and battery changes were a major focus. Tesla switched the Semi to its in-house 4680 cells from previously used 2170 cells, which it said — combined with efficiency gains — allowed a smaller, lower-kWh battery without sacrificing range. The company reported the production Semi consumes about 1,700 Wh per mile, down from an original 2,000 Wh/mile target. Powertrain revisions include a steel-caged rotor replacing the earlier carbon-fiber-sleeved design, a bar-wound stator shared with the Cybertruck, and a redesigned drive axle that is around 80 kilograms lighter. Tesla also moved to redundant electric power steering and redesigned thermal systems shared with its Cybercab. Tesla did not disclose updated pricing or order tallies at the event; prior reporting has quoted a $290,000 figure for the Long Range version but Tesla did not confirm that. The company pointed to charging infrastructure as part of the Semi package, referencing a Megacharger capable of providing up to a megawatt of power. Notable fleet commitments mentioned around the event included a previously announced 500-truck order from Einride, a 50-truck purchase by IMC Logistics for California drayage, and selection by a coalition of large cargo owners to supply 2,500 zero-emission trucks in California. CEO Elon Musk did not attend the event in person but appeared via a pre-recorded message.