Construction on the Tesla Semi volume production facility is progressing rapidly. After completing grading and drainage work last week, Tesla has now moved to footing work with footing trenches already dug on one-third of the future factory floor.
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A new drone flyover video of the future Tesla semi-volume production factory showcases Tesla's impressive progress in the plant’s construction, sparking excitement among enthusiasts and investors alike.
This facility, which is being built adjacent to Giga Nevada, is expected to produce 50,000 Tesla Semis annually when completed.
Zanegler (Tesla Semi advocate) shared the construction update on his YouTube channel and X account. As you can see in the picture above and the video embedded below, Tesla has already finished the grading and drainage work for the future factory.
In addition, Tesla has already dug the footing trenches for the perimeter foundation and has dug holes for individual footings. Footing work is now complete in an area equivalent to one-third of the factory floor.
The footings are necessary to transfer the weight of heavy machinery that will be installed on the Tesla Semi factory, to the lower more stable ground.
What’s interesting about the rapid construction progress is that it’s only been a month since Elon Musk revealed that he had approved the plans to build the future Tesla Semi factory.
Remarkably, in just a short time since Elon Musk's approval, Tesla has not only cleared, graded, and drained the factory site but also completed one-third of the footing work. This rapid progress is truly impressive.
Additionally, watching Zanegler’s video, you can see steel structures have already been delivered to the construction site, and it appears we’ll soon see the Tesla Semi factory start to grow vertically.
Another surprising thing here to note is how much bigger the area for the Tesla Semi factory is compared to Giga Nevada.
Granted, Tesla decided to halt Giga Nevada's construction, with the plant only achieving about half its size; however, it is still encouraging to see the sheer size of the future Tesla Semi factory.
When will Tesla Semi volume production start?
According to Dan Priestley, who leads engineering and program development of the Tesla Semi at the EV maker, Tesla is planning to start Tesla Semi volume production by the end of 2025, with initial customer deliveries falling at the start of 2026.
Dan Priestley made these comments during Tesla’s last earnings call. If Tesla sticks to this timeline, the all-electric 18-wheeler truck will finally reach volume production eight and a half years after it was first shown off.
How Many Semis is Tesla Going to Produce in a Year?
This is the exciting part: when the factory is fully built out, Tesla plans to produce 50,000 Tesla Semis per year.
For context, approximately 200,000 semi-trucks are sold annually in the United States. With the ability to produce 50,000 units per year, Tesla's factory can cover a quarter of the total annual semi-truck sales in the U.S.
Second Generation Tesla Semi?
Currently, Tesla has produced around 140 Tesla Semis, 100 out of the total are being used by Tesla to haul battery and powertrain components from Giga Nevada to Tesla’s Fremont, California plant.
The remaining 40 or so semi trucks, of which the overwhelming majority are delivered to PepsiCo, are being used by customers in their daily business activities.
From all publicly available information, the current generation of Tesla Semis appears to be a success; however, for volume production, Tesla has designed the next generation of Semis.
There isn’t much detail known about these trucks; however, Tesla has used the learnings from running the 140 Semi trucks to improve the next generation of semis.
According to Dan Priestley, the second-generation Tesla Semis will weigh about the same as comparable diesel trucks.
Overall, we’re excited to see Tesla making rapid progress toward starting volume Tesla Semi production. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as the plant’s construction progresses.
Until then, make sure to visit our site, torquenews.com/Tesla, regularly for the latest updates.
So, what do you think? Are you surprised with how quickly the Tesla Semi factory construction is progressing? Also, do you think electric semi trucks will be able to compete with diesel semi trucks? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below by clicking the red “Add new comment” button below.
Image: Screenshot from Zanegler Tesla Semi Advocate YouTube channel
For more information, check out: Images of a Tesla Cybertruck Engulfed in Fire Fuel Online Hoaxes
Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and the evolution of the EV space daily for several years. He covers everything about Tesla, from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.
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