• First unveiled in 2017, the Semi project has faced numerous hurdles
• Now, the Semi truck moves to a high-volume production line
• Electric hauler offers up to 500-miles on a single charge

The official Tesla Semi X account announced that the first electric big rig has rolled off the 1.7-million-square-foot high-volume production line in Nevada this week, as Elon Musk switches up the game plan to focus on the Cybercab, Optimus robot, and battery production.

Despite being first unveiled in 2017, the long-distance electric hauler has faced numerous roadblocks and delays in production, with the company so far producing only a handful of models on a low-volume line, predominantly for testing on US roads.

Tesla will now offer the Semi in two guises: a Standard Range model that manages 325 miles at a fully loaded weight of 82,000 pounds and a Long Range version that is slated for 500 miles of electric motoring.

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With an estimated battery size of around 900 kWh in the Long Range versions, the Semi is the first vehicle in the Tesla line-up to be capable of megawatt charging, with the company already installing outlets along key haulage corridors in the US that can deliver up to 1.2mW of power through an MCS 3.2 connector — resulting in charging stops of around 30 minutes.

Tesla is quoting $290,000 for the 500-mile Long Range version and roughly $260,000 for the Standard Range — making it the lowest-priced Class 8 battery-electric tractor on the market, according to Electrek.

It is also particularly efficient, with Tesla estimating it can return 1.7 miles/kilowatt-hour, even when fully laden. What’s more, the Semi program director, Dan Priestley, said in an episode of Jay Leno’s Garage that the batteries are designed to last a million miles.

With mass production already underway, Tesla says it will begin delivering the Semi to its first customers later this year.

Analysis: late to the party but an important player

The Tesla Semi has been in and out of the headlines over the years, partly because it looks so cool and partly because Elon Musk has talked up its ‘sports car’ handling and rapid acceleration.

But in the time it has taken Tesla to reach high-volume production, Volvo has created an entire range of seven electrified heavy-duty trucks, spanning long-distance haulage machines to low-entry models designed for construction work and waste collection in cities.

However, Electrek claims that Tesla’s Semi can travel further than Volvo’s electric trucks, as well as its closest rival in the Freightliner eCascadia, while significantly undercutting both on price.

What’s more, Tesla is doing what it does best and is already investing in the charging infrastructure and ecosystem around the vehicles that are so essential to their success.

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Leon has been navigating a world where automotive and tech collide for almost 20 years, reporting on everything from in-car entertainment to robotised manufacturing plants. Currently, EVs are the focus of his attentions, but give it a few years and it will be electric vertical take-off and landing craft. Outside of work hours, he can be found tinkering with distinctly analogue motorcycles, because electric motors are no replacement for an old Honda inline four.