Tesla moves to electrify trucking after a decade of work and delays
3 hours ago
- Tesla began delivering its all-electric Semi trucks to customers after nearly a decade of delays and refinements since its 2017 reveal.
- The event in Reno, Nevada featured executives but not Elon Musk, who was at a state dinner with China's Premier Xi Jinping.
- The most capable Semi variant has a range of 500 miles per charge, costs nearly $300,000 before incentives, and shorter-range versions will be available.
- Tesla plans to produce up to 50,000 Semis annually at a new factory adjacent to its Gigafactory in Reno, creating 3,000 local jobs.
- Executives emphasized the Semi's lower total cost of ownership, reduced emissions (heavy trucks produce 16% of emissions despite being 1% of vehicles), and greater reliability.
- Design changes from the original include shedding 1,000 pounds, using a single oil in the drive axle instead of three, and replacing pop-out windows with standard roll-down windows after customer feedback.
- The team admitted being wrong about the windows and mocked unnamed skeptics (including Bill Gates) who doubted the 500-mile range claim.