As we are patiently waiting for the first deliveries of the Tesla Semi to commence on December 1st, Elon Musk confirmed on Twitter that the electric truck completed a 500-mile (805 km) trip while being loaded with a total weight of 81,000 pounds (36.7 tons).
This impressive achievement matches the 500 miles (805 km) range figure that is promised for the high-spec Tesla Semi truck, since the cheaper entry-level model will offer a lower 300-mile (483 km) range. We must also note that the 81,000 pounds (36.7 tons) weight figure stated by Musk comes slightly short of the targeted 82,000 pounds (37.2 tons) fully loaded weight that is mentioned on the Tesla website.
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Tesla team just completed a 500 mile drive with a Tesla Semi weighing in at 81,000 lbs!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 27, 2022
It has been exactly five years since we first heard of the Tesla Semi. Deliveries of the fully electric Class 8 semi truck were supposed to start in 2019, but subsequent delays set this target back to December 2022. According to the Tesla CEO, production of the EV started in October 2022.
Despite the numerous delays, the advertised range of the Tesla Semi is still higher than any rival truck from Mercedes, Volvo, Nikola, and Renault Trucks, giving it an advantage in long-distance travel. It will also be rather quick for its size, with a 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) acceleration in 5 seconds when unloaded, or in 20 seconds when fully loaded.
Pricing for the Tesla Semi starts from $150,000, while the variant with the longer range retails for $180,000. Tesla hopes to produce as many as 100,000 trucks per year at its peak, which is quite an ambitious goal for the semi-truck segment.