Tesla Semi rolls into volume production after years of delays

Tesla’s long-promised electric Semi has finally moved into high-volume production, according to multiple reports published on September 25, 2026, after a launch event at the company’s dedicated truck factory in Nevada.

The Class 8 electric truck was first unveiled in 2017, with production originally slated for 2019. That did not happen. TechCrunch reported the program was pushed back by the pandemic, global parts and semiconductor shortages, and changes made after pilot customer feedback.

FreightWaves reported that Tesla formally inaugurated the Semi factory in Sparks, Nevada, on September 24. The site sits next to Gigafactory Nevada and is designed to build 50,000 trucks a year. Electrek reported Tesla described it as its first factory built specifically for the Semi.

There is a catch. FreightWaves said the first truck from the high-volume line actually came off in April, making this week’s event more of a public launch for the production program than the literal start of manufacturing.

Deliveries are now the headline. TechCrunch reported Tesla is handing over the first all-electric Semi trucks to customers, while FreightWaves said deliveries went to DHL, PepsiCo and US Foods, among others. Tesla has not said what it is currently producing at the plant, according to FreightWaves.

The factory ambition is big. TechCrunch reported Tesla plans to build as many as 50,000 trucks a year, or about 1,000 a week, and create 3,000 jobs for the local economy. Electrek reported Tesla says the plant can build Standard, Long Range and European-spec variants on the same line.

Tesla has also reworked the truck. Electrek, citing Tesla’s own details, reported the Semi has moved from 2170 battery cells to Tesla’s in-house 4680 cells. Tesla says that means less battery mass and fewer kilowatt-hours without compromising range, though it has not given a new pack size.

Electrek reported Tesla’s previously released specifications listed 325 miles for the Standard Range and 500 miles for the Long Range at 82,000 pounds, with energy use of 1.7 kWh per mile. TechCrunch reported the most capable version is expected to travel 500 miles or more on one charge, depending on load.

The truck also gets electric steering, a reworked drivetrain, heat pump thermal management and a cabin with acoustic glass, according to Electrek’s account of Tesla’s technical disclosures. FreightWaves reported the centre seating position and dual-screen cockpit from the early alpha trucks have survived.

Charging remains the obvious pressure point. TechCrunch reported that a person familiar with the matter said customers can take delivery when they are ready, but charging infrastructure is still a hurdle. Electrek reported Tesla showed Megacharger sites along major freight corridors, with gaps across parts of the US.

Tesla has not revealed a final sticker price, according to TechCrunch. The company says the Semi can help fleet owners lower total cost of ownership, cut emissions and improve reliability, but those claims remain Tesla’s own until broader fleet use proves them out.