Tesla seems to be on the verge of releasing its 500-mile version of the Semi commercial hauler. After years of development and a bevy of $20,000 reservations, the automaker has removed the “reserve” button from its website. It also released more detailed and updated specs on the truck along with some short videos.
Tesla hasn’t confirmed very many production details after initially announcing the Semi truck all the way back in 2017. What we did know was that Tesla planned to build at least two different versions with 300 and 500-mile ranges respectively. It also intended to use a quad-motor setup but now that’s changed as we’re learning more from updates to the Tesla Semi landing page.
While the “Reserve” button is gone, a new one, “Get Updates” now rests in its place. Previously, interested parties could put down $5,000 on the truck (and another $15,000 within ten days) to secure a reservation. While we don’t know how many total reservations Tesla has, it stands to reason that it’s at least a four-figure sum if not more. When first announced, big brands like Pepsi, Walmart, and Anheuser-Busch all expressed interest.
Read More: Elon Musk Shares “Bad News” That Tesla Cybertruck Prices And Specs Will Change
As of today, Tesla says that the Semi will use three (not four) independent motors on the rear axles. It also says that it can charge up to 70 percent of its range in just 30 minutes. As Elecktrek points out, the automaker doesn’t clarify if that stat applies to the 300-mile-range version or the 500-mile version. It also doesn’t tell us anything about the type of charger that it plans to use for the Semi.
It seems likely that Tesla will use its Megacharger specifically for the Semi and there’s even a video on the new page of a Tesla Semi utilizing one. Additionally, a new short rendering gives us an idea of what the cabin looks like. The new stats page does maintain that the truck will consume less than 2kWh of energy per mile.
It also still says that the vehicle will be capable of travelling up a 5 percent grade at highway speeds and that it’ll go from 0-60 with a full 82,000-pound load in just 20 seconds.
Elon Musk has previously stated that the brand plans to deliver the first 500-mile range units before the end of the year and Tesla’s social media accounts have reiterated that promise. Now we wait to see how the real truck does when it finally gets into customers’ hands.