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Tesla Semi production close to kicking off as assembly line tooling finishes up, report says

The Semi was supposed to reach production two years ago, but now a new report says it's finally ready for prime time.

Tesla Semi
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Tesla Semi

Beep beep, hopefully coming soon.

Tesla

Tesla has a funny way with deadlines, and its Semi electric truck is just one of many vehicles hit with numerous delays. After all, we first saw the towering electric semi revealed back in 2017. It was meant to start trucking along in 2019, at that. But, after the delays, a new report from Electrek on Tuesday says production is so close to beginning.

Specifically, the blog cites an unnamed source with information on the new facility neighboring the Nevada-based Gigafactory. This new facility will supposedly churn out five Tesla Semi trucks a week, and according to the blog's information, the axle production line is ready to roll and the general assembly line is undergoing final bug checks. After that, workers should start to assemble the trucks. Tesla does not operate a public relations department to field requests for comment. However, a leaked email from CEO Elon Musk told employees last year it was "time to bring the Tesla Semi to volume production."

If it does finally begin production, it will be another smashing success from Tesla, despite the numerous delays over the years. The electric Semi immediately garnered the attention of massive corporations looking to ship their goods across the US and Canada with fewer emissions. PepsiCo, Walmart and more all placed reservations for a bushel of Musk's electric, long-haul delivery trucks.

Tesla won't be the first to market with an electric semi truck, but it will likely make the biggest splash, simply due to the Tesla name. Numerous other automakers are itching to enter the electric semi market, and Daimler even shipped its first eCascadia semis to the US back in 2019 to start trucking duties.

Tesla Semi aims to electrify commercial trucking

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Sean Szymkowski
It all started with Gran Turismo. From those early PlayStation days, Sean was drawn to anything with four wheels. Prior to joining the Roadshow team, he was a freelance contributor for Motor Authority, The Car Connection and Green Car Reports. As for what's in the garage, Sean owns a 2016 Chevrolet SS, and yes, it has Holden badges.
Sean Szymkowski
It all started with Gran Turismo. From those early PlayStation days, Sean was drawn to anything with four wheels. Prior to joining the Roadshow team, he was a freelance contributor for Motor Authority, The Car Connection and Green Car Reports. As for what's in the garage, Sean owns a 2016 Chevrolet SS, and yes, it has Holden badges.

Article updated on July 20, 2021 at 9:20 AM PDT

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Sean Szymkowski
It all started with Gran Turismo. From those early PlayStation days, Sean was drawn to anything with four wheels. Prior to joining the Roadshow team, he was a freelance contributor for Motor Authority, The Car Connection and Green Car Reports. As for what's in the garage, Sean owns a 2016 Chevrolet SS, and yes, it has Holden badges.
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