Tesla Semi Spotted On Road Test In California
The Tesla Semi was spotted today on California Highway 580 during testing on public roads ahead of the truck’s production start.
The Semi was spotted by a member of the Silicon Valley Tesla Owners Club and showed the Semi running down the fast lane, dragging what appears to be a felled tree. This is Semi’s first sighting since April and the first since Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced during its Q4 2021 earnings announcement that the automaker would not be introducing any new products to its lineup this year. This seems to be the case for the Semi too, with first deliveries scheduled for early this year.
The Semi is one of Tesla’s most anticipated vehicles, probably the second after the next-generation roadster to temporarily fly thanks to SpaceX’s cold-gas engines. However, the Semi has been subject to numerous delays due to battery shortages as the Semi requires a large number of EV cells due to its size. Tesla was poised to begin production in mid-2020, but eventually decided to wait when demand for the company’s mass-produced vehicles skyrocketed.
However, the delays have not stopped businesses from requesting a truck for their fleet. Tesla has orders from PepsiCo and Karat Packaging, a manufacturer of sustainable disposable food service products.
The development and testing of the Tesla Semi is still ongoing and the automaker may be making further changes and modifications to the design to enhance an already great design. When production and deliveries of the Semi will begin is completely unknown, especially due to shortages of spare parts and unpredictable supply chain problems.
