BIG Tesla Semi Update | Mass Production is FINALLY COMING!

The Tesla Semi was first unveiled back in 2017, then nearly 5 years later in 2022 limited production of the truck finally began. However, despite Elon estimating in Tesla’s Q3 2022 conference call that Tesla was aiming for 50K units in 2024, only a small number of units are currently being built per month on a low volume factory in Nevada. So, when will the Tesla Semi actually go into high volume production? In this video I answer that question and discuss the latest Tesla semi updates.
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NOTE: The content found in this video should NOT be regarded as financial advice. I am not a financial advisor, and this is NOT in any way a recommendation or offer to buy or sell securities. While the information in this video is believed to be accurate at the time of recording, no guarantees are being made about the accuracy of the information presented in the video. As of the recording of this video, I am NOT invested in Tesla stock or securities, nor any other company mentioned in this video.

[@bigtvjunky9119]

Let's be real. Tesla is in no hurry to build the Semi Factory. There is a guy doing drone flights on the site and there has been very little progress from that Q1 Earnings report photo. Compared to all the construction activity at Giga Texas and the new Megapack factory in Shanghai.

[@relaxedtriathlon7095]

From a worldwide view Tesla is in hurry. mercedes, MAN, Volvo already are shipping Electric Trucs in their countries and as a worldwide company Tesla will have an interest of being fast in this growing market…

[@kathleenhildebrand5356]

Check out the progress now!

[@robinholmes785]

Great summary 👍 Doing the math on the battery weight, I still can't see how they can get to weigh parety on an 800mWh battery without 4680’s with a power density above 350wh/kg and fast 20 minute flat curve charging! The power density and charging seem to be way below this on the Cybertruck!

[@truhartwood3170]

Not sure about the weight right now, but batteries with 500Wh/kg have started being being produced by CATL and Ampirus. It seems logical to assume this will be the standard in a couple years when these start rolling off the assembly line.

[@robinholmes785]

@@truhartwood3170 I am still waiting for a breakdown on the problems with the dry electrodes and “Tesla silicon” in the 4680 cells

[@robwanless7551]

John Good content well presented. As usual👍 Like your new background and wardrobe.

[@mikewallace8087]

Rob, going to blow him a kiss?

[@KidHorn7001]

EV semi's make more sense to me than EV cars. EV semi's are much better for going up and down hills. They can go up a lot faster and the brakes don't take a beating going back down.

[@DerekDavis213]

Diesel semis are super-reliable, parts are everywhere, technicians and repair facilities are everywhere, diesel pumps are everywhere. Up to 1800 miles of range with a diesel semi. Tesla Semi cannot compare to that, AT ALL.

[@KidHorn7001]

@@DerekDavis213 EVs require far less maintenance. And electricity is everywhere. You can't operate a diesel pump without it.

[@DerekDavis213]

@@KidHorn7001 Semi truck with diesel engine requires very little maintenance. Sure, 120 volts electricity is everywhere, but Tesla Semi will need Hyper SuperChargers, which are nowhere to be found.

[@Dogman3690]

In the future there Will be ultra lightweight solar panels installed on the trailer.

[@paulmcgreevy3011]

Elon gets things right before large scale production. Not everything is ready yet with batteries and charging tech, economy isn’t right, politics isn’t right. I’m happy Tesla are taking their time to scale manufacturing. Spending big on compute is the right focus just now I think.

[@DerekDavis213]

Big money on compute, and yet the very latest FSD software update still has many problems, with little improvement over 12.3.6. Elan's promises have once again been *falsehoods* .

[@garetthartman5014]

When, they can actually haul a REAL load. Which they CANT right now!

[@Cleanerwatt]

Did you miss the 1-to-1 payload parity statement?

[@garetthartman5014]

@@Cleanerwatt No I did not, and right a "claim" from a Tesla CEO..... Because they can be believed on what they say.... Look it comes down to reality and everything EV has been a lie.... Once EVs do not use Lithium batteries, they may actually be less harmful than a ICS vehicle. But till then. Its just smoke and mirrors

[@joecummings1260]

@@Cleanerwatt Not what the American trucking Association has to say about it, They say 2 electric trucks to 1 IC engine truck kzbin.info/www/bejne/bIfPioyDlLCnfKM

[@georgedoolittle7574]

Software would be materially different from typical Tesla tho not necessarily from Cybertruck which to my knowledge latter still does not have any vehicle autonomy on board that has been activated so would be nice to see Tesla start with that as that is their most important vehicle in their still quite short Company History. A few thousand Tesla Semis would have a material impact upon US logisitcs and whoever is lucky enough to operate a Tesla Semi as being battery powered means the vehicle is purpose built for running 24/7/365 so is ideal for this type of work as with Uber, Lyft, Turo etc. In the meantime how Cybertruck roll out proceeds and works as stated above is far more material as look at how many pickup trucks ply US highways doing every number of things day in and day out. With chaos in Putin Russia starting to play out and select commodities now getting hammered such as steel and iron ore certainly was the right time to go all in on the massive Cybertruck as demand for steel, well...there isn't much demand for steel at the moment in North America excepting Cybertruck. Rivian still crazy over priced in their market as well but quality there is rumored to have dramatically improved same true with the Mustang Mach-E. Battery electrics have clearly matured big time and could start seeing a massive disinflation in the market segment as a consequence #big_battery

[@davidpearn5925]

Amazingly fortuitous news . Just vote early AND OFTEN........in the MAGA manner.

[@kingghidorah4191]

Panasonic has really dropped the ball They were in the catbird seat and let the opportunity slip through their fingers Tesla and the Chinese have eaten their lunch Panasonic is just an afterthought now Japanese hubris

[@davidpearn5925]

The Chinese didn't fall for the nonsense.

[@truckershammock6135]

Tesla semi a money printer🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@mervstash3692]

😅😅😅 for the tow truck industry

[@BrunoHeggli-zp3nl]

Wow this is horrible,what a scam!

[@walterquave8023]

It’s the biggest joke ever made on the planet

[@DrTofutybeast]

The Tesla problem is they have to be awesome in every way... Problems with the average Freightliner makes for boring news.

[@user-lo4er8wy9l]

I would love to see more Semis on the road. 2 more years is a huge gap of time, seems excessively long from where they seemed to be.

[@singed8853]

Well when you don’t have the product you touted you either have to admit it or play around with the carrot on the stick. Tesla is so proud of these vehicles that not only do they not publicly sell them but they have put ‘buyers’ under strict NDAs about the vehicle specs and performance.

[@MrTierhog774]

Agreed. Imagine these trucks without Jake brakes or hacked off loud exhaust. How nice!

[@DerekDavis213]

@@singed8853 Why an NDA for specs/performance? The true results must be disappointing, right?

[@DblOSmith]

Can't wait. Bring on electric semi's, garbage trucks, delivery trucks, tow trucks..... I used to live in downtown Portland and the sound of loud diesel vehicles echoing throughout the streets was unbearable. I had to move.

[@tedg1609]

How about the screaming drug addicts? Surprised you could hear the trucks running. Portland.

[@DblOSmith]

@@tedg1609 it was in the beforetimes. Drugs weren't big there yet

[@Crusherix]

Sadly batteries will be the limiting factor for decades to come. We need some serious nobel prize level evolution for batteries and then some!

[@DerekDavis213]

You are right. In the meantime, diesel trucks are highly evolved, highly refined, with a huge infrastructure to support them. Tesla Semi is a solution in search of a problem.

[@talbingolodge5943]

The environmental benefits of not having noisy smelly and particulates rich exhaust is huge.

[@DerekDavis213]

Is a 5000-lb lithium battery pack environmentally friendly? How about manufacturing that huge pack?

[@randgrithr7387]

The empty truck weighs 2x as its diesel competition and puts down 3x the power. That's gonna make a lot of tire particulates. Plus, it will accelerate road degradation, requiring more roadwork pollution.

[@DerekDavis213]

@@randgrithr7387 Thanks, more information on the FLAWS in the vaporware Tesla Semi tractor.

[@BigBen621]

​@@randgrithr7387 _The Tesla Semi tractor weights

[@randgrithr7387]

@@BigBen621 Vs a single-axle daycab that hooks to Frito-lay potato chip loads, yeah.

[@gregehrmantraut3165]

At 1.7 kWh/mile, that 500 mile trip would only cost $213, assuming 25 cents/kWh. That's bonkers! The low fuel cost alone will disrupt the entire industry. Holy crap!

[@danfalley9296]

Your electricity cost is bonkers! I pay 10 cents a KWH here in the midwest.

[@drivingforcebehindu]

At 8 mpg and 3.50 cents per gal of diesel cost for 500 m is $218.75 . Also recent bulletshaped KW prototype promise 12+ mpg fuel economy . So needs to do better for true disruption

[@matchurin1803]

Could it be that the number is actually 1.7 miles/kWh?

[@BigBen621]

@@matchurin1803 _Could it be that the number is actually 1.7 miles/kWh?_ No, it's 1.7 kWh/mile. If he said differently, he misspoke.

[@BigBen621]

_assuming 25 cents/kWh_ But for the most part the Tesla Semis in private hands-primarily Pepsico-charge at their home yards, where they get power for

[@peterjohn5834]

Great presentation. These semis will change road transport for the better.

[@alexandrustefanmiron7723]

I mean .. why not waste resources on products not fit for purpose..

[@Larrycarr63]

Elon musk is a hero of mine,, I would do almost anything to shake his hand,, and I love the hole Electric car thing even though I love my internal combustion engine.. But I do believe you did make a false statement saying that they are less polluting,, and please correct me if I’m wrong.. But you’re not talking about the gas,, oil,, or cold burning power plants being used to generate the electricity to charge the electric trucks and vehicles.. Unless they are Hooked up to windmills or something other green energy or Hydro, etc..

[@markevans2280]

Semis will be great for transportation of light bulk items, like toilet rolls, crisps or insulation panels

[@BigBen621]

Yes, because even cubed-out loads need to be delivered. But they'll also be great for towing heavier items like 22 tons of reinforced concrete highway barriers, accelerating rapidly (watch the speedometer) up a 6% grade on Donner Pass, passing a diesel semi laboring up the hill in low gear as if it were standing still: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqWyoohopJ1kn6s. You're welcome.

[@DerekDavis213]

@@BigBen621 But diesel semis have parts and repair technicians everywhere, fuel pumps everywhere, and range up to 1800 miles. Tesla Semi cannot compare to that.

[@BigBen621]

@@DerekDavis213 Luckily they won't need them, because they don't have fuel pumps.

[@Lduke32]

Charging infrastructure a big issue as it is with EVs in middle America.

[@ChrisGWarp]

Could have been summed up in one sentence: Optimising and finishing off engineering for a low volume production line to enable it to be built on a high volume production is obvious.

[@tommcmicken4776]

I have only had one interaction with a Pepsi-Semi leaving Sam's Club, I was not even close to keeping up with it------

[@maxhugen]

Musk has a history of over-promising but under-delivering, so I think we'll wait to see how the dynamics and economies of these semis pan out. IMO.

[@Harrythehun]

As I understand it, Drew Baglino got fired for the Semi and 4680 fiasco.

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

THANKS JON FOR THE UPDATES 🤗😎💚💚💚

[@joecummings1260]

Ain't it funny that none of the major trucking companies in the US want this POS.

[@davids9577]

ahhh.. the weekly 2yr old claim of production

[@mikewallace8087]

TESLA beta truck release to let the buyers report their displeasures .

[@tvoprosucks]

so how much money is someone willing to lose just to use one of these

[@jacccamo]

those batteries weigh to much.

[@mikewallace8087]

Wisdom says , don't buy the first model year. Worse is , the truck is a totally new invention .

[@DerekDavis213]

Even the latest Tesla EVs still have software issues, and quality issues. Wisdom says buy Toyota or Honda.

[@MatsukawaZaraki]

Is that going to be the site of the semi production facility or do you think maybe that's them moving the parking lot so that the current parking lot can be demolished to make way for the new expansion? Seems more likely to me but I don't have all the info lol

[@bbcooter388]

To make a parking lot, they wouldn't need to bring in all the soil to make it level. A parking lot could easily be terraced to follow the general contour of the raw land.

[@MatsukawaZaraki]

@@bbcooter388 it could, but Tesla, nor SpaceX has any "contoured" parking lots....everything is flat. Again, I really don't know, but just an observation I had. I follow the builds of Tesla Austin and Starbase, but in depth info is sparse on Nevada and Cali sites

[@mervstash3692]

It will all become a parking lot. They ran out of places to stash all these cars that no one wants to buy

[@mikewallace8087]

Great , Elon needs another problem to be released and juggle excuses .

[@DerekDavis213]

He's a good juggler, and his fan bois are drinking the KuleAid.

[@bbcooter388]

Eventually, there will be separate charging stations for Semi Trucks, just like there are separate areas for Semi Trucks at the big travel centers like TA, Love's and Pilot/Flying J. The charging for the Semis will also be at a much higher charging rate, 1 Mega Watt and above. They will also have their own connector that is designed to handle the high power requirements (that standard is currently being written and finalized) of the Semi trucks. The current state of charging for Semis like the Nikola is for them to temporarily use the CCS charging network. Like you said, the Nikola was not hauling a trailer, so I am guessing that it was not actually hauling a load, instead, it was being re-located. Generally speaking, if you are going to use Electric trucks in your fleet, you are probably going to be installing your own charging infrastructure. In the beginning, these Electric trucks will not be used to carry goods on "Long Haul" routes, simply because there is no charging infrastructure to support them. However, since over 80% of trucking is "Short Haul" and returns to the "Home Depot" every night, fleets can install their own charging infrastructure to support their operations. Many times that charging infrastructure will allow for lower power, long dwell time, charging, like overnight charging in the case of a local distribution center ( think grocery stores and big box stores). Sometimes that charging infrastructure will include DC Fast Charging if a company needs to support multiple shifts, or longer routes where a mid-day top off charge might be required. Other times the fleet might require a mix of both types of charging , PepsiCo is a good example of this mixed charging. They have several Mega Watt DC Fast Chargers alongside slower charging stations for their trucks that return to the depot for overnight charging.

[@johnbrown4568]

😴😴

[@Cross-xm2fr]

50,000 soon

[@hgm8337]

Dan is spouting utter nonsense, unless someone at Tesla has invented a battery whose energy density is 4x what is currently achievable, then more than 50% of the weight of the truck will be the battery..

[@BigBen621]

Best estimate is that the battery weighs

[@DerekDavis213]

@@BigBen621 Best estimates? Why are the Tesla semi specifications, battery size and weight, and freight capacity all huge secrets. Diesel truck buyers know why. No specs = no confidence.

[@replica1052]

when objects of desire became trucks (in this everyday be pure bliss )

[@arubaga]

No Tesla Semi truck production unless Elon's pay package is approved.

[@singed8853]

Zero connection

[@DC-yh2oy]

APPROVED!

[@DerekDavis213]

Elmo wants to cash out, before the crash out.

[@ssmit262]

Thanks!

[@Cleanerwatt]

You're welcome - Thanks for the support!

[@ryan6391]

Do you think the new CATL battery that Tesla is sitting up equipment for in the US will go into the semi?

[@rogerstarkey5390]

The CATL equipment isn't "NEW" CATL equipment.

[@mikewallace8087]

It is impossible to produce the impossible .

[@BigBen621]

In this case, what is it you claim is "the impossible"?

[@mikewallace8087]

@@BigBen621 3:40 , did you listen to this?

[@BigBen621]

@@mikewallace8087 Yeah. Once you turn the impossible into merely late, it isn't impossible any more; and so your comment doesn't apply. That was the whole point of Priestley's comment.

[@mikewallace8087]

@@BigBen621 When I encounter people like you my hands become spherical in shape.

[@mikewallace8087]

@@BigBen621 did you make yourself feel better fan boy? As I am irrelevant in your life , you are so in my life. That idea is silly . The problem was solvable thus not impossible .

[@Reinke85]

I like your Books

[@martinsoos]

I think that they aren't making the factory big enough and I think there should be a port on them to handle regular supercharger locations without the trailer in a pinch.

[@BigBen621]

_I think there should be a port on them to handle regular supercharger locations without the trailer in a pinch_ Actually, there is. During the NACFE Run On Less tests last September, Tesla Semis routinely pulled weighed-out load of soft drinks from the Pepsico Sacramento Bottling Plant 270 miles to Bakersfield; dropped off the load; drove back 100 miles to the Harris Ranch Supercharger; and added enough charge to get the remaining 166 miles back to the bottling plant. Satellite views show some drive-through charging spots at Harris Ranch, and its likely that they used these and didn't even have to drop off the trailers.

[@martinsoos]

@@BigBen621 Then I definitely don't think that Tesla is making there semi plant big enough. Thanks for the info.

[@JorgeLausell]

nice!

[@Olson2BW]

One think to keep in mind is that Tesla cars are NOT expected to last one MILLION miles. While Tesla semis ARE. This means that everything needs to be that much better than the Tesla cars. Also, this is the Model X of their Semi line. What I mean by that is that this is the first semi truck that they are building. And this isn't just upsizing everything. Everything is different, they are starting from scratch with every part on the truck (except maybe the tires but even the tire company is probably learning quite a bit too).

[@DerekDavis213]

_Everything is different, they are starting from scratch with every part on the truck_ Meanwhile, the diesel Semi industry has been highly evolved, highly refined over the last 100 years. They constantly improve and go for better aerodynamics and engine designs. Diesel has 99.9% market share and a huge national infrastructure. Tesla Semi is going nowhere.

[@gregehrmantraut3165]

The Tesla Semi is currently using 2170 cells, not 4680

[@paulmcgreevy3011]

That’s exactly why they’re not making them

[@DerekDavis213]

So how many 2170's in the Tesla Semi battery pack? 50 thousand cells? omg

[@jamessimmer725]

The innovations worked out on the Cybertruck (48V, drive & steer by wire, etc) must be included in the Semi, delaying its mass production.

[@hgm8337]

so you're saying CyberTruck's obvious failings have had a knock-on effect fatally ending the semi's commercial launch?

[@DerekDavis213]

@@hgm8337 Not much of a commercial launch, just a few dozen vehicles at PepsiCo, and lots of talk and hype.

[@iainmrodgers9991]

​@@hgm8337You think 48V and steer by wire are failings!!?

[@CinePhil101]

Fool's errand

[@DerekDavis213]

Another incomplete/vap0rware product from Tessla. One of many.

[@noway8233]

Why dont tell the true? Pepsi use federal funds ,about 20 millons to buy the truck as a "test program" , and dont work very well😅

[@chrisg8995]

Thank you so much John for the always consistent and no drama presentation. Nice to have an adult in the room. Keep up the great work. Cheers

[@lwhlwh9701]

Instantly out of date video!

[@Cleanerwatt]

Nope... still up to date.

[@jonvanhouten8369]

What about Wisconsin in the middle of winter?? No video of these trucks running in cold climate, for good reason.

[@BigBen621]

_for good reason_ For the good reason that none has been sold in Wisconsin. Lack of videos of a truck in a place where no trucks have been sold is not evidence that they can't operate in that place. Everything you think you know about EVs in cold climates comes from EV *cars*; and even there, Teslas do better than other brands. Tesla Semis won't of course be deployed in locations where they won't work; but the fact that they haven't been deployed *yet* is not evidence that they *won't be.*

[@DerekDavis213]

Only 40 or 50 Tesla semis have been delivered to PepsiCo in California. Tesla semi is not a real product, for United States of America. Especially not cold states like Wisconsin.

[@roger_is_red]

love it

[@UlexiteTVStoneLexite]

Unfortunately the current charging availability is not at all structured for semi trucks. We saw this first hand. While we were heading from Southern California to Texas outside of Dallas to see the eclipse we came across a Nicola. Just inside of Arizona we had to charge at a gas station that only had four electrify America chargers. There were Tesla's on the other side of the freeway from us but obviously the vast majority of people can't use those chargers. There were four stalls all four were working but all four were already full and there was an additional four more cars in front of us waiting to charge. We parked in line and the Nikola pulled up behind us we all got situated and we started charging and then the Nikola finally got to start charging. They had such a hassle trying to get the gigantic semi into the parking spot. It does in fact fit into a parking spot but given how long it is it is incredibly difficult for the thing to maneuver into position. It obviously didn't have a trailer but that didn't stop it from having a difficult time getting into the pretty much regular parking spot. We had to unplug our Chevy bolt and move over so that the Nikola could fit into position. We were also towing a small teardrop trailer and we had to drop the trailer off in a parking spot and then go over and charge because obviously the single parking spot was not suitable for us to have the trailer in. Is there going to have semis charging they are going to have to put chargers that are in pull through spots that a semi can actually get into

[@BigBen621]

It's structured for Tesla semis just fine; they can charge at any Tesla Supercharger site. For example, they do so frequently at the Harris Ranch, CA Supercharger when delivering loads from the Pepsico Sacramento Bottling Plant 270 miles to Bakersfield, and need a little boost to get the rest of the way back to the Bottling Plant.

[@bbcooter388]

Eventually, there will be separate charging stations for Semi Trucks, just like there are separate areas for Semi Trucks at the big travel centers like TA, Love's and Pilot/Flying J. The charging for the Semis will also be at a much higher charging rate, 1 Mega Watt and above. They will also have their own connector that is designed to handle the high power requirements (that standard is currently being written and finalized) of the Semi trucks. The current state of charging for Semis like the Nikola is for them to temporarily use the CCS charging network. Like you said, the Nikola was not hauling a trailer, so I am guessing that it was not actually hauling a load, instead, it was being re-located. Generally speaking, if you are going to use Electric trucks in your fleet, you are probably going to be installing your own charging infrastructure. In the beginning, these Electric trucks will not be used to carry goods on "Long Haul" routes, simply because there is no charging infrastructure to support them. However, since over 80% of trucking is "Short Haul" and returns to the "Home Depot" every night, fleets can install their own charging infrastructure to support their operations. Many times that charging infrastructure will allow for lower power, long dwell time, charging, like overnight charging in the case of a local distribution center ( think grocery stores and big box stores). Sometimes that charging infrastructure will include DC Fast Charging if a company needs to support multiple shifts, or longer routes where a mid-day top off charge might be required. Other times the fleet might require a mix of both types of charging , PepsiCo is a good example of this mixed charging. They have several Mega Watt DC Fast Chargers alongside slower charging stations for their trucks that return to the depot for overnight charging.

[@truhartwood3170]

"Obviously the vast majority of people can't use those [Tesla] chargers." What? The majority of EVs on the road are Teslas! They were around 80% of the EV market, now they're about 54% of all EVs sold. All "Non-Teslas" combined are a minority.

[@rogerstarkey5390]

You know that 80%(?) of car charging is "slow charging overnight"? . So, if they have large "car charging" locations, empty overnight, configured in the correct way with a space *behind* a row of 10-12 car chargers, then a Semi can pull in *behind* that row to "slow charge" . . If a megacharger can add 20-80 in 1 hour, a V3 has.. let's say even 1/6th of the capacity, that's a full charge in 6-8 hours..... Just needs an adapter (just like a "slow car charger") No Megachargers required for OTR . . Numbers? How many can charge? That just depends on the ratio of trucks to charging locations. . It's a network ready to use which can expand with numbers.

[@UlexiteTVStoneLexite]

@@rogerstarkey5390 not while you're going long distances. We don't charge overnight while we're driving long distances unless we're at a campsite that has hookups. Almost all of those charging locations had other people charging in the afternoon. There was a line of four cars waiting just to charge while the other four cars were already charging in the middle of the day. Those trucks are not going to be using overnight charging. They're going to be using fast chargers.