Remember the Tesla Semi? The long-gestating, heavy-duty truck first introduced in concept form in 2017 is finally in volume production as of April 2026 — nearly a decade after its initial introduction.
On Thursday evening, the company held yet another event for the Semi to demonstrate to customers and investors that the long wait was finally over. The event was held at Tesla’s new Semi factory next to Gigafactory Nevada, where the company says it can build 50,000 trucks a year, or 1,000 per week.
The purpose was to announce a raft of new (and old) customers for the Semi, including PepsiCo, US Foods, DHL, WattEV, ABF, Einride, IMC, and OK Produce. 1/9But there were still a lot of missing details that could have helped explain why the wait was so long, and where the Semi goes from here.
Tesla didn’t reveal order numbers, nor did it update the price of the Semi — which is rumored to be $290,000 for the long range version. In short, like many Tesla events these days, this one was lacking in some key updates.
The trucks were supposed to go into production in 2019 but were delayed for a variety of reasons, including the covid pandemic and a global parts shortage. Tesla delivered a handful of trucks to PepsiCo in 2022, but those units were essentially built by hand on a pilot line.
Back in 2017, the company advertised a starting price of $150,000 for the 300-mile version and $180,000 for the 500-mile one. Tesla never officially updated those prices until today, but Eletrek reported earlier this year that Tesla was quoting customers $290,000 for the 500-mile range version.
Tesla spent the last three years refining the Semi’s design, shaving nearly 1,000 lbs off the weight, and building out a dedicated factory next to its Gigafactory in Sparks. The company revealed the final production design in February 2026, confirming two trims: a Standard Range truck with 325 miles at full 82,000-lb gross combination weight, and a Long Range version with 500 miles of range.
In April, Tesla announced that the first Semi had rolled off the line at the new facility, kicking off volume production of the long-delayed truck. ”“This is really going to be a revolutionary truck,” Musk said, “that is capable of carrying the heaviest loads over very long distances.
With ease of recharge, Megacharger that’s capable of a megawatt of power. This is really going to be a phenomenal truck.”
