Tesla has been a pivotal part of changing the perception of EVs by getting millions of zero-emission vehicles on the roads.
The Tesla Semi is one of these less-discussed vehicle programs from the brand, but it promises to do much the same in the world of transport logistics and long-distance trucking.
Now, footage of the new Tesla Semi being tested has been made public. The latest video was showcased by Jay Leno on his unique vehicle-focused YouTube channel, highlighting key upgraded features of the Semi that had previously been under wraps.
In the video, which is over 47 minutes long, Leno is shown the progress of the Semi program and how well Tesla’s electric trucks are performing.
Dan Priestley, Tesla’s Semi program lead, shared that the truck now uses a 48 V architecture and delivers a fully electric steering system. Previous versions of the Semi used a hydraulic system.
According to the company, the Semi is also much cheaper to run than equivalent Diesel trucks. Data shared shows that it is 50% cheaper to run in California than diesel semi trucks.
Leno also got behind the wheel of the truck and compared the key differences between normal diesel trucks and electric trucks. The Tesla Semi’s ride was smooth, efficient, and quite comfortable.
Tesla Semi first began deliveries as part of a trial with a large food and beverage company, PepsiCo, back in late 2022.
After taking delivery of the Tesla Semi, PepsiCo announced in 2024 that it had ordered additional units, doubling its fleet to 50 electric trucks operating out of its manufacturing and distribution facility in California.
In recent months, Tesla unveiled an updated design of the Semi with several key upgrades. This included improved range and charging specifications.
For charging, 1.2 MW ultra-fast charging will be available to logistics operators, and the Semi will be able to use Tesla’s supercharging hardware to achieve those speeds.
In recent months, there has been news of the first Megachargers coming online, paving the path for dozens of sites in the coming months.
The updated Semi also has improved aerodynamics for better efficiency and increased payload capacity, along with updates to its charging capabilities.
This has now allowed the truck to deliver over 800 km of range with an 800 kW drivetrain and energy consumption as low as 1.06 kWh/km.
Earlier this month, it was reported that mass production of the Tesla Semi at the company’s currently being constructed factory in Nevada was expected to begin soon.
With Tesla Semi’s production around the corner and diesel prices remaining high, many freight and logistics companies may consider adding electric trucks to their fleets.
The new Semi appears to have made big upgrades, as seen in Jay Leno’s video, which would save fleet operators huge amounts of money during operations. That’s something many fleet operators would not argue with.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.