- Tesla has refreshed the Semi truck’s design to match the look of the revised Mannequin Y, the Cybertruck and the Cybercab.
- It will get a full-width mild bar, a brand new bumper and aero tweaks to carry its design updated.
- Tesla says the truck is now extra environment friendly, it might tow extra and is “designed for autonomy.”
The Tesla Semi must be the one car that we all know of that acquired a mid-lifecycle facelift with out technically being in manufacturing—solely a handful have been constructed thus far. Nevertheless, that’s precisely what occurred as Tesla quietly unveiled an up to date Semi yesterday, which it has redesigned to obtain the brand new household face, in addition to a collection of technical enhancements.
Tesla revealed the Semi in 2017 with plans to start out constructing it in 2019, however it has stored pushing again its manufacturing begin date. Throughout yesterday’s annual shareholder assembly, Elon Musk reaffirmed the corporate’s plan to start quantity Semi manufacturing subsequent 12 months, promising to place an finish to what has confirmed to be a painfully gradual rollout.
Picture by: Tesla
The revised Semi contains a full-width mild bar up entrance, which does away with the outdated headlight design that actually dated its look. We solely have one picture to go by, however what it exhibits is a design change that lastly makes the truck appear to be the futuristic film prop that all of us hoped it might be. The entrance bumper can also be completely different, now that includes what appear to be aero channels (presumably to chill the brakes), and it additionally has new cameras positioned on pods behind the entrance wheels.
The decrease a part of the car is obscured, so there could also be some extra visible modifications hiding there, like redesigned aero wheels. It might additionally characteristic greater plastic cladding on the edges of the car, as there appears to be much less area between the door deal with and the black half in comparison with all different Semis we’ve seen thus far.
Tesla mentioned effectivity and payload had additionally been improved as a part of the replace and likewise famous that the truck was now “designed for autonomy.” Its peak charging energy was unchanged—nonetheless 1.2 megawatts, permitting it to regain 70% of its vary in a 30-minute charging session—and it might go 500 miles on one cost, with a median effectivity of 1.7 miles/kWh. That’s greater than the 1.55 miles/kWh effectivity that the truck achieved over a three-week trial interval when it hauled freight for logistics firm ArcBest.
Full-scale manufacturing of the Semi hasn’t began but as a result of the brand new Nevada manufacturing unit the place will probably be constructed is not prepared but. It was imagined to develop into operational in late 2025, however now that has been pushed to early subsequent 12 months. Tesla mentioned throughout its Q3 earnings name that the manufacturing unit was “nearing completion,” however did not share any extra particulars or a completion date.
