Tesla’s Nine-Year Wait for the Semi Is Finally OverAutoweekNatalie NeffSat, September 26, 2026 at 2:41 AM UTCAdd us on GoogleTesla's Nine-Year Wait for the Semi Is OverTeslaTesla Begins Delivering Semi Trucks Nearly Nine Years After UnveilingTesla has officially begun delivering production examples of its long-delayed Semi to customers, almost nine years after CEO Elon Musk first unveiled the electric Class 8 truck.At a delivery event held on Thursday at its factory in Sparks, Nevada, executives showed off trucks earmarked for the likes of PepsiCo, DHL, and US Foods. Tesla did not reveal pricing or production volumes, but it did emphasize its goal of eventually building 50,000 Semis annually at the Nevada plant still stands.The Semi comes in two configurations. Tesla says the long-range version can travel up to 500 miles on a single charge when fully loaded, while a standard version is rated for 325 miles. Dan Priestley, Tesla's director of Semi truck engineering, said the 500-mile figure has been validated by customers operating the truck in real-world conditions.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe launch comes after years of delays. Tesla introduced the Semi in 2017 with plans to begin production in 2019, but battery supply constraints and other priorities repeatedly pushed the production target date back. Limited deliveries to PepsiCo began in late 2022, but the company only started building trucks on its regular production line this spring.Teslas run by PepsiCo.PepsiCoDespite the slow rollout, interest does appear to be growing. This week, clean transportation nonprofit Catalyst Mobility announced an order for 2,500 Semis from a coalition of major cargo owners that includes Microsoft and PepsiCo. Last month, Swedish freight technology company Einride also committed to adding 500 Semis to its fleet.The truck is the first model in its portfolio to push Tesla beyond passenger vehicles, and it comes at a time when commercial fleet operators are looking for alternatives to diesel-powered trucks. Even so, electric Class 8 trucks represent a small fraction of heavy-duty truck sales in North America.Tesla CEO Elon Musk did not attend the delivery event but appeared in a recorded message encouraging customers to place additional orders, while acknowledging that the waiting list has already grown substantially.