Tesla Semi will be sold worldwide, Musk confirms

Pxl 20231218 211247863 Headshot
Tesla Semi hauling Cybertruck
Elon Musk has officially confirmed that the Tesla Semi will be sold worldwide but another major milestone has to happen first: series production.
Tesla

Elon Musk's latest announcement regarding the upcoming Tesla Semi will surely get the world's attention. The Tesla CEO confirmed on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the battery-electric class 8 Semi will be available worldwide.

However, series production has not begun and is not expected to until sometime in 2025 following completion of a new Nevada factory currently under construction that's specifically for Semi manufacturing. 


Musk's confirmation should not come as a big surprise. Late last summer, Tesla, very quietly, issued a job posting for a Head of Business Development - Semi Truck that will be based in either Amsterdam or Berlin. The OEM, which lacks a media relations department, has not indicated whether or not this role has been filled. 

[Related: Tesla Semi heading to Europe, according to job posting]

Last May at ACT Expo in Las Vegas, Tesla Semi program chief Dan Priestly address concerns over the program's delays; the Semi was introduced back in 2017. Priestly acknowledged that the company's specialty is "turning impossible into merely late."

[Related: Tesla Semi program manager gives most detailed update on its BEV to date]

Earlier this week, DHL made a bold announcement of its own, stating that the Tesla Semi is "ready for prime time" following two weeks of testing last summer. DHL Supply Chain USA performed 3,000 miles of normal operations in California with the Semi. The trial consisted of one fully-loaded, 390-mile drive with a gross combined weight of 75,000 pounds. The shipping and logistics giant confirmed that any electrified vehicle in its fleet must be able to haul payloads over long distances - at least 500 miles - on a single charge. 

The Semi averaged 1.72 kWh/mile while operating in excess of 50 mph on average for over half its road time. These figures exceeded DHL's own expectations as well as Tesla's own internal ratings figures. DHL confirmed it placed an order for 10 Semis back in 2017 and it's possible that figure will increase based on this pilot run. 

Jay Traugott has covered the automotive and transportation sector for over a decade and now serves as Senior Editor for Clean Trucking. He holds a drifting license and has driven on some of the world's best race tracks, including the Nurburgring and Spa. He lives near Boulder, Colorado, and spends his free time snowboarding, climbing, and hiking. He can be reached atΒ [email protected].

Hydrogen Fuel Cell & BEV Survey
The following survey was sent as a link in an email cover message in February 2023 to the newsletter lists for Overdrive and CCJ. After approximately two weeks, a total of 176 owner-operators under their own authority, 113 owner-operators leased or assigned to a carrier and 82 fleet executives and 36 fleet employees from fleets with 10 or more power units had completed and submitted the questionnaire for a total of 407 qualified responses. Cross-tabulations based on respondent type are provided for each question when applicable.
View Infogram