TESLA SEMI TRUCK PRODUCTION SET FOR 2026 AFTER PRE-LAUNCH FACELIFT
Tesla has announced it will begin deliveries of its long-awaited all-electric Semi truck to companies outside its pilot programme starting in 2026.
According to the news website Teslarati, Tesla itself will be the first customer after the production model, first announced nine years ago, is given a pre-launch facelift.
The Tesla news site quoted the company head of the Semi programme, Dan Priestley, as saying Tesla has been using test version of the Semi to a certain extent, but has not been able to stop using traditional diesel haulers as well.
Using prototype trucks, Tesla has already been operating a pilot programme with food and beverage multinational PepsiCo and its snack subsidiary Frito-Lay.
The news follows more delays at Tesla and a further cascade of announcements about when the electric truck would actually go into series production.
US media reports had initially suggested the Semi would debut in 2025, but the company announced in November that "deliveries start next year," with no specific month or quarter given.
A first image published on social media platform X, owned by Tesla boss Elon Musk, shows a redesigned Semi front end. The previously vertically arranged headlights have been replaced by horizontally aligned counterparts connected by a light bar.
This brings the truck in line with the current Tesla design language, as seen on the refreshed Model Y and the Cybertruck.
In addition, the front apron now appears to be more pronounced in the lower section, and the side windows end at the driver's door. These used to extend to the rear at a level with the sleeping cabin.
Another eye-catching feature is a new element mounted behind the front wheels. Commentators said this could be a rear-facing camera that is part of the driver assistance package. The Tesla Semi still has classic exterior mirrors.
Tesla also claims to have made a number of improvements under the bodywork of its electric truck, which are intended to make the vehicle more useful for fleets. These seem to be aimed in particular at improving energy efficiency.
Tesla quotes consumption of 1.7 kilowatt hours (kWh) per mile when fully utilising the payload of over 37 tonnes. For the old-look Semi the figure was 2 kWh per mile.
This means the electric truck would now consume only 105.6 kWh per 100 kilometres instead of 125 kWh. Alongside a promised range of 500 miles (805 kilometres), Tesla lists drive power at 800 kW.