Tesla begins volume production of Semi in Nevada
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- Tesla rolled the first Semi off its new high‑volume production line at Gigafactory Nevada, confirming that volume production has begun.
- Tesla Semi offers two trims—Standard Range (325 mi) and Long Range (500 mi)—priced at $260,000 and $290,000, making it the lowest‑priced Class 8 battery‑electric tractor.
- Tesla’s 4680 battery cells are produced on‑site at the Nevada plant, eliminating the supply‑chain bottleneck that previously delayed the Semi.
- The Nevada factory is built for an annual capacity of 50,000 trucks, with analysts projecting 5,000‑15,000 deliveries in 2026, though the article calls that “way too optimistic.”
- Megacharger stations, capable of 1.2 MW charging, restore 60 % of range in roughly 30 minutes; the first opened in Ontario, California and 66 locations are mapped across 15 states.
- California recorded 965 of 1,067 Clean Truck & Bus Voucher applications for the Tesla Semi between Jan 2025‑Feb 2026, far outpacing Daimler, PACCAR, and Volvo combined.
- Alyath plans to launch a “Tesla Semi as a Service” subscription at the May 4 ACT Expo, bundling vehicle, charging, and energy supply.
Why it matters: Tesla now can supply Class 8 electric trucks at a price and range that undercut rivals, while its on‑site 4680 cells and 50,000‑truck annual capacity remove previous bottlenecks. Fleets gain a lower‑cost, low‑emission option, and competitors lose market share as demand spikes in California’s voucher program.
