Jay Leno tested a Tesla Semi in 2023, making several heads turn. This time though, he tests the updated Long Range 500-mile version, which has received a sleek bullet-train-like facelift and has shed around 1,000 pounds!
Nobody beats Leno when it comes to riding all kinds of vehicles, be they tractors, trucks, dragsters, supercars, or anything else that moves with the help of wheels.
Now, Leno’s back with the Tesla Semi on his YouTube channel, Jay Leno’s Garage, and it seems that this variant of the Semi is indeed the production version.
Tesla ran pilot programs for three years, and it now appears that the electric vehicle brand is ready to begin mass production of the Semi this year at Gigafactory Nevada, with a target output of 50,000 units per year.
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Tesla Semi | Jay Leno’s Garage on YouTube
Joining Leno were Tesla’s Semi program director, Dan Priestley, and Tesla’s director of styling, Franz von Holzhausen, who highlighted some of the vehicle’s features, and the inspiration behind the design of the Semi, and why it would appeal to truckers.
Will The Tesla Semi Be a Game Changer?
Von Holzhausen stated that the idea behind the design was to make it as efficient as possible through aerodynamics, and that is one reason why the driver’s seat, steering, and controls are positioned in the center. The nose has a rounder profile to reduce drag and improve range.
The advantage Tesla had with the Semi is that the batteries sit at the bottom, allowing the design department greater flexibility to make the vehicle more aerodynamic when compared to a conventional gas-powered truck.
Program director Priestley revealed that his team spoke to many drivers who had driven the Semi. They were not only impressed by the design but also by the silence they experienced in the cabin and the smooth ride experience. These are points that make a big difference to truckers who drive all day.
The Tesla Semi is also economical for an independent trucker to run on a daily basis, as electricity prices are more stable than fuel prices, especially amid the ongoing geopolitical tensions around the world. Tesla is also working on a mega charger network for the Semi, a point that would help attract potential Semi customers.
A lighter, 325-mile standard range version of the Semi will also be on offer. It packs fewer batteries and also helps reduce the wheelbase. That makes the turning radius nearly equivalent to that of a Model 3 or Model Y.
At present, the Semi can charge at 1.2 megawatts at the Megacharger stations, adding 300 miles of range in just 30 minutes. A key USP of the Semi is that the structural battery pack is designed to last a whopping 1 million miles in its original duty cycle.
Priestley said that “a few hundred” Semis have been made since October 2023. The Tesla fleet has covered over 13.5 million miles, with the highest-mileage truck hitting almost 440,000 miles.
Now, truckers not only get low-cost fuel, comfort, and quick charging, but the Semi also has reliability to boast about. The price? An Electrek report suggests that prices for the 325-mile Semi would start at around $260,000. For the 500-mile version, buyers will have to pay upwards of $290,000.
