Full speed ahead!

Full Speed Ahead

A Tesla Semi was seen in-action on California's Highway 580 West, as shown in a video captured by a member of a EV-enthusiast community group called Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (TOSV).

While the sizeable big rig in the clip is being driven without its detachable trailer, it's still hauling what looks to be trees, which are lying on the vehicle's bed — an intriguing glimpse of a mystery-shrouded vehicle that could, if everything goes according to plan, reshape the trucking industry.

All Tractor, No Trailer

The highly-anticipated Semi, described on Tesla's website as the "safest, most comfortable truck ever," was first presented by Tesla CEO Elon Musk in 2017, alongside the EV manufacturer's original model of the Roadster "supercar."

At the time, Musk said that the futuristic tractor-trailer — unveiled in front of a massive poster that read "BAMF PERFORMANCE" — was expected to go to market in 2019.

But Musk is no stranger to pushed-back production schedules, and five years later, the Semi is still yet to be available en masse. It's worth noting, however, that while you can't exactly get your hands on a truck quite yet, you can go ahead and reserve one from the allegedly forthcoming fleet. Warning: it's not cheap.

Currently, the quicksilver CEO is holding the line that we'll be seeing many more Semis hit the streets in 2023, manufactured at volume alongside the ever-janky Cybertruck and a new-and-improved Roadster, the latter of which, as Musk told podcast menace Joe Rogan in 2021, he's hoping will hover. Without killing people, of course.

If and when these electric trucks do take the roads in bigger numbers, they could potentially make a significant difference in efforts to slash fossil fuel emissions. As for the safety Musk promises? Other partially-autonomous Tesla vehicles haven't exactly been showing "BAMF performance" in that department as of late, so Semi safety remains to be seen.

Updated to remove a mistaken mention of the Semi hauling trees.

More on Tesla: Firefighters Struggle as Junkyard Tesla Bursts Into Flames Weeks After Crash


Share This Article