Tesla has officially begun volume production of its Semi electric truck, nearly 10 years after first introducing the concept in 2017. The company held a special event to announce the start of production and to showcase the truck to potential customers and investors. The event took place at Tesla’s new Semi factory, located next to its Gigafactory Nevada, where the company claims it can produce up to 50,000 trucks annually, or about 1,000 per week. Tesla also announced a list of new and existing customers for the Semi, including major companies like PepsiCo, DHL, and Einride. Some of these names were revealed earlier by a YouTuber who flew a drone over the facility in Sparks, Nevada. The first deliveries of the Semi have started this week, though Tesla did not disclose the number of orders or update the price of the truck, which is rumored to be around $290,000 for the long-range version. The Semi was originally expected to go into production in 2019, but delays occurred due to the global pandemic and supply chain issues. In 2022, Tesla delivered a small number of Semi trucks to PepsiCo, but those were built manually on a pilot line. Initially, Tesla advertised a starting price of $150,000 for a version with a 300-mile range and $180,000 for a 500-mile version. However, the price has not been officially updated until now, though reports suggest the 500-mile version is now around $290,000. Over the past three years, Tesla has refined the Semi’s design, reducing its weight by nearly 1,000 pounds and building a dedicated factory next to its Gigafactory in Sparks. The final production design was unveiled in February 2026, offering two versions: a Standard Range with 325 miles of range and a Long Range with 500 miles. Tesla CEO Elon Musk was not present at the event, as he was in Washington, D.C., attending a state dinner with U.S. President Trump and Chinese President Xi. However, he sent a pre-recorded message praising the Semi as “the funnest truck to drive.” Musk emphasized the Semi’s ability to carry heavy loads over long distances with ease, thanks to Tesla’s high-power Megacharger system. The event focused heavily on the hardware and engineering behind the truck. Tesla’s Director of Semi Truck Engineering, Dan Priestley, noted that the 500-mile range is based on fully loaded trucks, not lighter test runs. Tesla Vice President of Engineering Lars Moravy added that a Semi carrying a lighter load could potentially reach about 600 miles. The Standard Range model, with lower mass, is designed for a variety of applications, offering more flexibility than relying solely on the long-range version. Tesla claims the Semi is cheaper to operate than diesel trucks, with lower energy costs and fewer parts to maintain. This is especially significant as diesel prices have hit historic highs, exceeding $6.50 a gallon in the U.S. Tesla says the fully loaded truck now consumes about 1,700 Wh/mile, improving on its original target of 2,000 Wh/mile. The efficiency gains allow for a smaller, lighter, and cheaper battery without sacrificing range. The Semi uses Tesla’s in-house 4680 battery cells, replacing the earlier 2170 cells. Tesla also redesigned the powertrain and drive axle, incorporating a new steel-caged rotor, a shared bar-wound stator with the Cybertruck, and a lighter drive axle. The company has also improved the truck’s steering system and turning radius, making it more maneuverable in urban and loading environments. Tesla is positioning the Semi as an integrated fleet product, offering dedicated service, mobile support, and over-the-air updates to enhance the driving experience.