At the IAA Transportation fair in Hanover in 2026, Dan Priestley was behind the wheel of the Tesla Semi, an electric heavy truck designed to eventually operate without a human driver. Elon Musk had previously confirmed that Tesla was developing Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology for the Semi, aiming to achieve complete autonomy in the future. Priestley explained that Tesla plans to gradually enhance the Semi’s capabilities, beginning with active safety features such as adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, and forward collision warnings. The Tesla Semi is already equipped with multiple cameras around the vehicle, some of which replace traditional side mirrors on the European version, displaying images on large screens. These cameras support active safety functions and Autopilot features. The truck can also estimate its own mass in real time, which helps adjust its autonomy predictions. Additionally, its navigation system takes into account specific constraints related to heavy trucks, such as weight limits and road regulations. To achieve full autonomy, Tesla plans to deploy many Semi trucks with human drivers on the road. These drivers will assist in training the autonomous driving system, much like how Tesla currently uses cars equipped with FSD technology on European roads for testing. The company intends to apply the same technology and training methods used in its passenger vehicles to the Semi. However, specific details on how data will be collected and processed, as well as technical differences caused by the Semi’s weight, have not been disclosed. The long-term goal is to develop a fully autonomous Semi, which could bring significant economic and safety benefits. Tesla will not be the only company working on autonomous heavy trucks. Mercedes, MAN, and Volvo have also introduced long-distance electric trucks and announced their ambitions in automated driving. The Tesla Semi is expected to launch in Europe starting in 2027, with an initial deployment of more than 100 MCS charging points in its European launch markets.