Announced in 2016, the Tesla Semi will finally hit the roads. Its production has just started, and we already know the name of the first customer.
It was in 2016 that the arrival of the Tesla Semi was mentioned for the first time, in the Master Plan unveiled by Elon Musk. The latter then evoked the launch of the production of an electric truck, in addition to that of a pick-up, which will become the Cybertruck. But six years later, still nothing.
Finally in production
Indeed, the launch of the long-awaited Tesla Semi is long overdue, while it has been constantly postponed since its official reveal in November 2017. A few prototypes had already been seen on the roads, especially in 2018, but still no production model on the horizon.
Originally, production was to begin in 2021, at the Austin plantin Texas, which already assembles the Model 3 and Model Y. In August, Elon Musk finally announced that ” deliveries of the Tesla Semi in the 500-mile version (about 800 km, editor’s note) will begin this year, those of the Cybertruck next year“.
Excited to announce start of production of Tesla Semi Truck with deliveries to @Pepsi on Dec 1st! pic.twitter.com/gq0l73iGRW
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 6, 2022
It is therefore finally with quite a delay that the assembly of the electric truck has just begun, as announced Elon Musk on Twitter. And as the American site explains Electrek, it is not in Texas but in Nevada that the latter is finally made. Indeed, last year, journalists announced that a building would be specially built to accommodate the production of the truck.
So it’s done. The rate would then be five copies per week, but it is rumored that the volume of production will soon be greater. A part would then indeed be manufactured in Austin as originally announced.
First deliveries in December
In his tweet, the boss of the American firm also announced that the first deliveries will take place on December 1st. Of course, not to individual customers, but to Pepsico, which will be the first company to be able to make deliveries thanks to the electric truck. Other companies such as Walmart and FedEX also signed an order form, while the brand had even had to interrupt reservations due to the vehicle’s excessive success.
As a reminder, this will be equipped with three electric motors, installed on the rear axle. Several configurations will be offered, offering between 483 and 805 km of autonomy. Empty, the truck should be able to travel 997 kilometers. The brand also announces a consumption of only 2 kWh for 1 mile (1.6 km) with 37 tons of load.
Il could then cash an incredible charging power of 1,400 kW, allowing it to recover 70% of the autonomy in 30 minutes. For this, the Semi will have to plug into a Megacharger, which could deliver a power of 1.5 mW. A prototype had already been tested at the Tesla factory in Nevada.
Nevertheless, these improved Superchargers should not see the light of day immediately along the roads, because of many difficulties related to the establishment of these infrastructures as explainedGreen Car Reports. The firm will have to solve some concerns related to the specific load standard to deliver so many Megawatts, not to mention the installation costs.
Note that for now, France is not affected by taking orders.
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