Tesla Finally Starts Delivering Its Big Electric Truck
Tesla has started delivering its electric Semi truck to customers from a new factory in Sparks, Nevada.
Tesla held an event on Thursday evening, Sept. 24, to close a nine-year effort. The company said the truck is now coming off a full production line, not a small test line, with the first deliveries starting that same week The Verge. The factory sits next to Gigafactory Nevada. Tesla had advertised a livestream for 6 PM PT on Sept. 24.
The plant is set up to build up to 50,000 trucks per year, or 1,000 per week. That is the limit of the factory. It does not tell us the current build speed, how many pass checks, or how fast output will grow. Elon Musk did not attend in person. He spoke in a recorded video.
There are two versions. Both are Class 8, the largest tractor-trailers on U.S. roads. The Standard Range model goes 325 miles when fully loaded at 82,000 pounds, truck plus trailer plus cargo. The Long Range model goes 500 miles. Tesla showed the final design in February 2026. It built the first factory-line truck in April 2026, which started full production The Verge.
Tesla first showed the Semi as an idea in 2017 and planned to build it by 2019. The company blamed the delay on the COVID pandemic and a shortage of parts. In 2022 it hand-built a small number of trucks for PepsiCo on a test line. In 2017 the prices were $150,000 for the 300-mile truck and $180,000 for the 500-mile truck.
The first buyers named are PepsiCo, US Foods, DHL, WattEV, ABF, Einride, IMC, and OK Produce. They work in food delivery, package shipping, electric trucking, and short port trips that move containers.
Tesla has talked about this timing for over a year. In its Q2 2025 update, it said the Semi and Cybercab would reach full production in 2026. In its Q4 2025 update on Jan. 28, 2026, it said the Semi and Megapack 3 were on track for full production starting in 2026.
The broader context here is the shift from hand-built tests to steady factory output, like moving from cooking single meals to running a kitchen that serves a thousand orders a week. A test run can check the design and cooling. It cannot show line speed, parts supply, or whether each truck is the same. The mix of buyers also points to testing in different daily jobs, not one use.
In my view, buyers should read the range numbers in a narrow way. Range with a full load is what matters, and Tesla puts it at 325 and 500 miles. What matters next is how weight changes range, hill performance, recharge speed between trips, and service needs. Tesla did not share verified details on those points. They will affect cost per mile more than range alone.
Worth flagging for readers who have seen electric truck plans before is that plans have often moved faster than output. Tesla now has the building, the line, and customers receiving trucks. Weekly build numbers, steady deliveries into 2027, and results from busy fleets will say more than an opening event can.
