Photos: Tesla shows off production version Semi Truck

August 30, 2022

Market launch

It’s been five years since Tesla pulled the curtain off the Semi Truck. During the 2017 presentation – which has now been viewed 10 million times on YouTube – Elon Musk also showed the new Tesla Roadster for the first time. Since then, Tesla has added three factories – Gigafactory Shanghai, Austin and Berlin – but the Semi and Roadster are still not rolling off the assembly line.

Production version

According to Tesla chief Elon Musk, it will finally happen this year: the Semi will hit the road. The variant, which should reach 805 kilometers (500 miles) on a single battery charge, will be delivered to customers this year. This time it doesn’t seem to be an empty promise, as a number of photos have now appeared on Tesla’s official Semi page showing a production version of the Semi.

Old vs new

The production-ready Semi differs from the concept model in a number of minor ways. For convenience, we have listed both versions below. The production version is above, the concept truck below.

As you can see from the photos, the changes are not major. The design of the cabin has been changed slightly, there are new door handles and a pair of giant side mirrors have been fitted. The wheels have also been modified. The front gets Semi traditional truck wheels, instead of the aerodynamic wheels that were on the concept model. At the rear, it is unclear whether the wheels also have a different design, since we are only now seeing the rear wheels for the first time. On the concept, these were hidden behind a lot of dark sheet metal. Good for aerodynamics, but apparently it wasn’t practical anyway.

Interior

The interior also looks a lot more practical in the new photos. More buttons are present and the console to the right of the driver has been given a number of storage compartments. Not only can the driver use the giant mirrors to see what’s going on beside and behind him, but he can also use the giant Model 3-like screens to do so.

Production version

Draft version

Specifications

According to Tesla, the Semi has a range of approximately 483 and 805 km (300 and 500 miles). The base version carries a price tag of $150,000. For the version with the largest battery pack, you’ll pay $180,000. Propulsion is provided by three electric motors. Fully loaded (37,000 kg), the 0-100 km/h sprint takes about 25 seconds. Without a trailer, that job is done in just five seconds. Not important, but special.

Mega fast fast charging

Within 30 minutes, the battery pack can be charged to 70% at a dedicated Tesla Semi Charger. Little is yet known about these extra powerful chargers. There are rumors that the truck can handle 1 megawatt (1,000 kW) during a charge. When the electric truck will come to Europe is not yet clear.