Tesla Starts High-Volume Semi Truck Production

Tesla has begun high-volume production of its long-awaited Semi electric Class 8 truck, with the first unit rolling off the assembly line at Gigafactory Nevada in Sparks this week.

The company confirmed the milestone in a post on X from its official Tesla Semi account, sharing an image of the vehicle. Production shifts from previous low-volume pilot lines, where Tesla built a few hundred units, to a dedicated 1.7 million-square-foot facility designed for an annual capacity of 50,000 trucks. Deliveries to customers are scheduled to start later this year.

Unveiled in 2017, the Semi faced repeated delays from an initial 2019 target, with early handbuilt prototypes delivered to partners like PepsiCo in late 2022. Those vehicles logged over 13.5 million miles in testing. Recent refinements include a lighter design, shedding about 1,000 pounds, and updates like a front end resembling the Model Y, fully electric steering assist, and a 48-volt architecture using beefed-up actuators from the Cybertruck.

The truck comes in two configurations. The Standard Range version offers 325 miles of range at a fully loaded gross combination weight of 82,000 pounds, while the Long Range model provides...