Tesla’s kicking off its Semi truck deliveries this month. The company’s CEO, Elon Musk, took to the stage to announce the brand’s move into the trucking industry on December 1, 2022, at the Tesla factory in Sparks, Nevada. The event was co-presented by Dan Priestly, Tesla’s senior manager for Semi truck engineering.
The Tesla Semi originally debuted back in December 2017 and was slated for a grand rollout but was stopped by the COVID-19 pandemic and all the challenges that it brought. Delays like battery cell supply issues, logistical issues, and more kept the Semi from being delivered to customers, but three years later, the dream is finally a reality for Tesla.
“Sorry for the delay.”
The Tesla Semi will be the company’s Class 8 offering in the heavy-duty truck segment. Its defining characteristic is its steering wheel which is mounted in the center of the cabin, with touchscreens positioned on both sides of the driver.
While the Semi is Tesla’s first foray into the market, it’s not the first fully-electric model to make it. Brands like Volvo are doubling down on electric and green mobility with their models, and there are others still like Fuso and their e-Canter series of trucks. The American automaker is certainly not the first, but it could very well be a key player in the industry, serving high-tech features that are outside of the box.
There is also a huge push into autopilot systems, a technology that Tesla is very fond of putting into its cars, and a feature that the logistics industry is trying to crack.
On top of that, the Tesla fast charging network will be available for the Semi to use, which includes the DC fast-charging system that can deliver up to 1 megawatt of power and that employs a water-based cooling system that ensures safety while topping up the battery. SuperCharging stations will receive the new fast-charging tech in the future. Tesla claims that the Semi will be capable of a little over 800 kilometers on a single charge (500 miles).
