The Tesla Semi is finally nearing production: report

[MEDICALJMP]

The Tesla Semi is finally nearing production: report
CREDIT: TESLASEMI_/INSTAGRAM

BySimon Alvarez
Posted on July 20, 2021

The Tesla Semi is about two years delayed by now, but recent reports and rumors suggest that the all-electric Class 8 truck is indeed closing in on production. If these prove accurate, Tesla’s lineup this year would be boosted by what could very well be its most disruptive vehicle yet.

When the Tesla Semi was unveiled, Elon Musk estimated that the all-electric Class 8 truck would enter the market around 2019. This target was eventually moved to 2020, though that goal was not achieved either. News about the Tesla Semi started heating up earlier this year, however, especially as updated prototypes of the vehicle were spotted across the country, possibly for testing.

Around March, Tesla community members who reportedly had access to inside information noted that the Semi’s production was drawing closer. Not long after, multiple job postings specifically related to the Semi were offered by Tesla. Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry also stated in a note that Tesla Semi production was “firming up.”

Further rumors emerged at this time suggesting that Tesla was already tapping into its suppliers to prepare components for the all-electric Class 8 truck. By the time the company held its Q4 and FY 2020 earnings call, Tesla had released an Update Letter stating that it was excited to deliver the first Semi to customers by the end of the year.


Eventually, reports at the end of March claimed that Tesla was building a new production line for the Semi near its Gigafactory Nevada plant. This report was supported by Tesla community members who were reportedly familiar with the matter, though rumors also suggested then that the Nevada line was only for pilot production, and the Semi’s mass production would be done later on in Gigafactory Texas instead.

While news about the Tesla Semi was dampened by the departure of former President of Trucking Jerome Guillen, speculations suggested that the Semi program was moving along nicely regardless of the executive’s absence. This seemed to be supported by a recent report from EV blog Electrek, which stated that the vehicle’s drive axle production line is now ready. Citing sources reportedly familiar with the matter, the publication noted that the Semi’s general assembly line was already through its final debugging stage.


If these recent reports and rumors prove accurate, then the Tesla Semi could indeed enter production sometime this year. The vehicle should greatly help Tesla’s reach into the automotive market, as the Semi could enter a segment that is both lucrative and ripe for disruption. Electric trucks exist today, after all, but very few, if any, could be considered comparable to the Semi when it comes to its average cost per mile, performance, and range.

https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-semi-nearing-production-report/

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[Quicksilver]

I was an over the road trucker or in the Army most of my adult life.
If the Tesla Semi does half what Elon claims it can it will fundamentally change commercial trucking all over the world.

 

[firsttruck]

I was an over the road trucker or in the Army most of my adult life.
If the Tesla Semi does half what Elon claims it can it will fundamentally change commercial trucking all over the world.

Agreed

The only people that never have a failure or never missed a deadline are those people that never tried anything difficult.

Elon Musk and his companies have a pretty good record of doing things others said was impossible.

Sure not everything has worked but what already has worked is amazing.

Start a new auto company that competes with legacy auto OEMs (GM, Ford, Toyota, VW, Nissan, Honda, Mazda).

Start a new rocket company that competes with legacy rocket OEMs (Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman)

Reusing rocket booster by landing it vertically (SpaceX Falcon 9 boosters).

SpaceX StarLink - global low latency satellite Internet

Tesla Roadster, Model S, Model 3.

Someone accomplishing just one of these in a lifetime would be noteworthy but to have multiples is amazing.

Once Tesla gets the 4680 battery in volume production the Cybertruck & Tesla Semi will probably be added to the list above.

 

[ajdelange]

SpaceX StarLink - global low latency satellite Internet

I do feel obliged to point out that my colleague, Albert, thought of this 40 years ago. He called the approach the "paper plates" approach (cheap, disposable satellites). I don't mean to diminish Musk's accomplishment in posting this. Albert never made it happen.

 

[Cybertruckee]

If the semis is there, our Cybertruck won't be far behind.

Yup, another rumor that Semi and Cybertruck will be produced on pilot basis in Fremont or Nevada..

 

[Crissa]

Don't forget he had already founded a company and sold it for a massive profit twice - and one of those companies is still around as it became a major bank after he left.

Elon has hit the dot com lotto three times in a row, each time letting his money ride. He's living the life any nerd in the 80s dreamed of.

-Crissa

 

[firsttruck]

Don't forget he had already founded a company and sold it for a massive profit twice - and one of those companies is still around as it became a major bank after he left.

Elon has hit the dot com lotto three times in a row, each time letting his money ride. He's living the life any nerd in the 80s dreamed of.

-Crissa

Yup

I did not include those on my list because the previous stuff was Internet virtual & financial.
I wanted to highlight the ones that resulted in physical products or controlled physical things (hopefully in near future: FSD, NeuraLink).

And hopefully Elon gets completion on his other projects

Scaling production of BEVs so they become most common passenger vehicles.
Scaling production of PowerWalls & MegaPacks battery systems
The Boring Company tunnels
FSD
RoboTaxis
NeuraLink
Start of Mars colonization

Even one of these things is more beneficial for human society than Facebook, Amazon, new Apple phone model, and many others.

If most of Elon's current promises (FSD, Robotaxi, NeuraLink, Mars, etc) failed and all he finished was scaling production of BEVs so they become most common passenger vehicles.
As a single person he would have done more than almost anybody in last 40 years.

 

[Crissa]

I don't ascribe to the 'great man' theory of history, but some people do get a chance to have an outsize influence on the course of history and this is one of those times.

Chance is a tough mistress, but you have to grab it when you can. Which Elon is doing.

-Crissa

 

[Ogre]

Even one of these things is more beneficial for human society than Facebook, Amazon, new Apple phone model, and many others.

No specific model, but the iPhone... proper smartphones... have had a massive impact and benefit on humanity. Arguably much of the technology advancement in the race to build a faster/ better smartphone is what led to the technology which makes EVs viable today.

 

[firsttruck]

No specific model, but the iPhone... proper smartphones... have had a massive impact and benefit on humanity. Arguably much of the technology advancement in the race to build a faster/ better smartphone is what led to the technology which makes EVs viable today.

Yes, first several years of smartphones was useful.

I said "new models smartphones"

There is nothing in last couple years of smart phone that is important.
The new models of smartphones and Microsoft windows 10, next windows 11 is no different than legacy OEMs new models every year. Profit is the reason for the changing models not customer needs. In fact all this needless changing causes massive re-training inefficiency & stress in the population.

George Carlin has idea on smartphones

The American Okie Doke
Aug 5, 2011

 

[Ogre]

Yes, first several years of smartphones was useful.

I said "new models smartphones"

Saying "The 75th revision of thing XYZ isn't interesting" is saying nothing. It's a non-statement.

Of course a thing which has been iterated on is less interesting historically than something brand new.

Congratulations on stating the obvious.

 

[Crissa]

Important thing in later iterations are harder to see at first.

But we've gotten much better biometrics to work with, for instance. Lower power and more reliable accessories. Broader radio coverage. Much, much better cameras. And processor speeds that now rival laptops.

It's not as interesting, or as obvious, but it is important.

-Crissa

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