WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
  • Tesla will open its 1.7 million square foot Semi factory in Sparks, Nevada, with eventual capacity for 50,000 trucks annually.
  • The 500 mile Long Range Semi costs $290,000, roughly 60% above Tesla’s advertised 2017 price.
  • ZET SCALE selected Tesla as primary manufacturer for an order of 2,500 battery electric Class 8 trucks.
  • Tesla expects to build “many thousands” of Semis by the end of 2026.

DISCLAIMER: GoldInvestors.news is not a registered investment, legal or tax advisor or broker/dealer. All investment/financial opinions expressed by GoldInvestors.news are from the personal research and experience of the owner of the site and are intended as educational material. Although best efforts are made to ensure that all information is accurate and up to date, occasionally unintended errors and misprints may occur.

Tesla will open the doors to its new Semi factory in Sparks, Nevada, on Thursday as investors seek evidence that the much delayed electric truck is finally ready to scale.

The factory event adds another major milestone to Tesla’s packed calendar.

The opening follows Tesla’s unveiling of its production Cybercab robotaxi in Austin earlier this month.

The company plans to reveal the second generation Roadster on Oct. 1, keeping attention fixed on several vehicle programs.

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Thursday’s invitation only “Semi Rollout” event is expected to feature factory tours and rides in the truck.

Tesla will stream the event live on X beginning at 9 p.m. ET.

The Sparks facility covers 1.7 million square feet and is designed to eventually produce as many as 50,000 Semis annually.

The first truck rolled off the high volume line in late April, although the full production increase is most likely still ahead.

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Pricing will be a central issue for prospective customers. Tesla is quoting $290,000 for the 500 mile Long Range version, according to Electrek, roughly 60% above the $180,000 price the company advertised in 2017.

The 325 mile Standard Range model costs about $260,000, based on data from a California incentive program.

Tesla is betting that fuel savings will compensate buyers for the higher initial cost.

Diesel prices could strengthen that argument. US diesel averaged $6.53 a gallon this week, an increase of about 74% from a year earlier, according to the Energy Information Administration.

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European Union diesel prices also reached a record in mid September, according to European Commission data.

The increase came as conflict in the Middle East squeezed supply, adding another cost concern for trucking operators.

Tesla enters the factory event with a significant commercial victory.

On Tuesday, ZET SCALE selected the company as the primary manufacturer for an order covering 2,500 battery electric Class 8 trucks.

ZET SCALE is a new alliance of shippers whose founding members include Microsoft and PepsiCo.

Catalyst Mobility, formerly CALSTART, is one of the two groups operating the program and disclosed the supplier selections.

The proposed order would nearly double the entire US fleet of electric Class 8 trucks. Kenworth, Volvo, and RIDE were selected as secondary suppliers under the program.

“ZET SCALE's goals are exciting because they take the operational cost advantage and predictability that electricity provides and amplify it at scale,” Tesla Semi program director Dan Priestley said in a statement.

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Attendees at Thursday’s event are also expected to receive an updated breakdown of the Semi’s ownership costs compared with diesel trucks.

That comparison could draw particular attention as operators weigh Tesla’s higher purchase prices against potential fuel savings.

Priestley said in May that Tesla expects to build “many thousands” of Semis by the end of 2026. He told Transport Topics that the production increase would follow “a bit of an S-curve.”

Tesla is also moving the Semi into overseas markets.

At the IAA Transportation show in Hannover, Germany, on Sept. 15, the company displayed a European version with up to 550 kilometers, or about 340 miles, of range when fully loaded.

Customer deliveries in Europe are targeted for late 2027, according to Transport Topics.

Tesla has also confirmed that Full Self-Driving (Supervised) is coming to the Semi, while production trucks carrying FSD testing hardware have been spotted on public roads.

DISCLAIMER: GoldInvestors.news is not a registered investment, legal or tax advisor or broker/dealer. All investment/financial opinions expressed by GoldInvestors.news are from the personal research and experience of the owner of the site and are intended as educational material. Although best efforts are made to ensure that all information is accurate and up to date, occasionally unintended errors and misprints may occur.