Musk says Tesla's electric tractor-trailer has started production
Tesla's semi-trailer truck has started production and the company will start making deliveries as early as December 1, Elon Musk announced on Twitter. When the automaker unveiled the Tesla Semi in 2017, it planned to start making the big electrics by 2019. While that obviously didn't happen, Musk told employees in an email early in 2020 that the vehicle was already in limited production. and that it was "time to pull out all the stops and bring the Tesla Semi to volume production." In April of the same year, however, the automaker announced on an earnings call that it was once again postponing deliveries to 2021.
Alas, 2021 was not the year of the Semi either. Tesla informed shareholders on another earnings call that deliveries would be delayed until 2022 due to global supply chain shortages affecting the tech and automotive industries, as well as its production capacity. then limited for vehicle 4680 style battery cells. Musk did not say outright that the company's component shortage issues for the tractor-trailer had yet been resolved. But if it has started building the vehicles and there is already an expected delivery date, Tesla must have at least enough parts to build Semis for its first customer.
The first batch of Semis will be delivered to Pepsi, which ordered 100 vehicles from the company in December 2017. As TechCrunch notes, other major companies had also ordered trucks from the manufacturer automotive, including Walmart and inverter. And in May this year, the automaker opened up reservations to more customers with a $20,000 deposit. A Semi costs between $150,000 and $180,000, depending on the lineup, and it can go up to 500 miles on a single charge.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices correct at time of publication.
Tesla's semi-trailer truck has started production and the company will start making deliveries as early as December 1, Elon Musk announced on Twitter. When the automaker unveiled the Tesla Semi in 2017, it planned to start making the big electrics by 2019. While that obviously didn't happen, Musk told employees in an email early in 2020 that the vehicle was already in limited production. and that it was "time to pull out all the stops and bring the Tesla Semi to volume production." In April of the same year, however, the automaker announced on an earnings call that it was once again postponing deliveries to 2021.
Alas, 2021 was not the year of the Semi either. Tesla informed shareholders on another earnings call that deliveries would be delayed until 2022 due to global supply chain shortages affecting the tech and automotive industries, as well as its production capacity. then limited for vehicle 4680 style battery cells. Musk did not say outright that the company's component shortage issues for the tractor-trailer had yet been resolved. But if it has started building the vehicles and there is already an expected delivery date, Tesla must have at least enough parts to build Semis for its first customer.
The first batch of Semis will be delivered to Pepsi, which ordered 100 vehicles from the company in December 2017. As TechCrunch notes, other major companies had also ordered trucks from the manufacturer automotive, including Walmart and inverter. And in May this year, the automaker opened up reservations to more customers with a $20,000 deposit. A Semi costs between $150,000 and $180,000, depending on the lineup, and it can go up to 500 miles on a single charge.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices correct at time of publication.
What's Your Reaction?
