Tesla: The Semi has begun rolling off production lines. Drivers will love it for its acceleration, and autonomous driving is coming soon

Tesla has officially begun production and sales of the Semi, its electric tractor truck. All variants will be manufactured at the same factory in Nevada (Gigafactory Nevada, United States). The vehicle is truly interesting in several aspects: the Long Range version promises 800 kilometers of range with a full charge and 965 kilometers with half a charge. It features a battery built using 4680 cells and is painted in powder coating (for greater environmental sustainability).

A Close Look at the Tesla Semi

Based on recordings made by Zanegler just before the launch, Tesla has at least eleven customers who have decided to purchase electric trucks (PepsiCo is missing from the photos, having started receiving units earlier). According to company statements, this number is likely higher. One of the recipients is Chinese firm HMD Global, the current owner of the Nokia phone brand. The Chinese have always been eager to buy early batches of Tesla vehicles:

Deliveries start now – thank you to our customers!

We’ll be our own customer, too: you’ll see Semis hauling Tesla freight pic.twitter.com/LEHlno6pQn

— Tesla Semi (@tesla_semi) September 25, 2026

The Gigafactory Nevada is capable of producing up to 50,000 vehicles per year, with current orders amounting to several thousand to a dozen thousand units. Tesla claims that it assembles complete vehicles from raw materials at this facility rather than just assembling them, as it aims to handle everything in-house. The driver sits in the center of the cabin, which “may seem a bit strange at first,” but should quickly convince users with its comfort and quietness. Compared to the earlier Semi models, the batteries are made up of 4680 cells, which bodes well for their longevity in other vehicles (Cybertruck, upcoming European Model Y).

The Semi cabin in the American version. The European version uses cameras instead of mirrors (c) Tesla

Tesla revealed that the batteries have a shape similar to a cube to better maintain temperature inside. We know their capacity is 548 kWh for the Standard Range version, likely also for the European variant, and 822 kWh for the Long Range version. It is this latter version that is said to offer 965 kilometers of range with half a charge. Charging occurs at a maximum power of 1.2 MW, and just 30 minutes of charging is needed to reach 60 percent battery charge (20% to 80%). The manufacturer already has a network of Megachargers in the U.S., which are chargers with a power output of over 1 MW:

The engine features a rotor in a steel cage, which is cheaper and reportedly more efficient and reliable than one made of carbon fiber. The steering system is electric rather than hydraulic, which reduces costs today and will facilitate autonomous driving once this technology is integrated into the tractor. Tesla has not disclosed the prices of the Semi publicly; the Long Range version is said to cost $290,000 net, equivalent to 1.1 million zlotys, according to Electrek. The tractor is expected to be available in Europe starting in 2027.

Semi is here

Today, we’re launching high volume production pic.twitter.com/QQjYDmcPsf

— Tesla Semi (@tesla_semi) September 25, 2026

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