# Tesla Semi finally ships, nine years late

> After a nine-year wait, Tesla begins volume production of its electric Semi truck with major freight customers lined up.
- Title: Tesla Semi finally ships, nine years late · The Verge
- Summary: After a nine-year wait, Tesla begins volume production of its electric Semi truck with major freight customers lined up. Tesla started volume production of…
- Keywords: tesla, tesla semi, electric trucks, freight, pepsico, dhl, einride, megacharger, battery, elon musk, technology, culture
- Source: The Verge — https://theverge.com/transportation/1000317/tesla-semi-launch-customer-delivery-freight-battery-engineer
- Author: Andrew J. Hawkins
- Published: 2026-09-25T02:12:57+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: tesla, tesla semi, electric trucks, freight, pepsico, dhl, einride, megacharger, battery, elon musk, technology, culture
## Nine years to get here
Tesla's Semi truck, first shown in concept in twenty seventeen, finally enters volume production in April twenty twenty-six.
## The launch event
Tesla held an event at its new Semi factory next to Gigafactory Nevada to announce customers and demonstrate the truck is ready.
## Major customers lined up
PepsiCo, US Foods, DHL, WattEV, ABF, Einride, IMC, and OK Produce are among the first customers. First deliveries started this week.
## Factory capacity
Tesla says the new Semi factory can build fifty thousand trucks a year, or one thousand per week.
## A long delay
The Semi was supposed to start production in twenty nineteen but faced delays from the COVID pandemic and global parts shortages.
## Price nearly doubled
Tesla originally advertised starting prices of one hundred fifty thousand dollars in twenty seventeen. The long range version now costs two hundred ninety thousand dollars.
## Two versions available
The Standard Range truck offers three hundred twenty five miles of range. The Long Range version delivers five hundred miles fully loaded.
## Musk calls it revolutionary
In a prerecorded message, Tesla CEO Elon Musk praised the Semi as capable of carrying the heaviest loads over very long distances with ease.

> This is really going to be a revolutionary truck.
## Battery and efficiency gains
Tesla switched to its in house four thousand six hundred eighty battery cells and shaved nearly one thousand pounds off the truck's weight.
## Charging infrastructure
Tesla's Megacharger system delivers up to one point two megawatts per stall. The company plans over two hundred megawatt capable posts by year end.
## Operating cost advantage
Tesla claims the Semi costs less to run than diesel, with lower energy costs and far fewer parts to maintain.
## Delivery challenge ahead
Tesla faces pressure to meet demand from freight operators who have waited years for electric trucks. Any further delays risk damaging the company's reputation.
## Key takeaway

Tesla started volume production of its long-delayed electric Semi truck in April twenty twenty-six, nine years after first showing the concept, with major freight operators including PepsiCo and DHL taking first deliveries.