Elon Musk says Tesla will build 50,000 semis annually starting in 2024, making it a top truck company
First electric tractors will be delivered in December
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Five years after it was announced, Tesla will be delivering its first electric Semi to Pepsi on Dec. 1.
But it plans to be shipping a lot more than that soon.
Elon Musk said during Tesla's third-quarter earnings call on Wednesday that the automaker is aiming to sell 50,000 of the tractors in 2024.
"And these would sell, I don't want to say the exact prices, but they're much more than a passenger vehicle," Musk said.
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The Tesla Semi was originally revealed in 2017. (REUTERS/Alexandria Sage/File Photo / Reuters Photos)
Exact pricing for the Semi is no longer listed on Tesla's website, but it had previously been advertised at $180,000 for a truck with a 500-mile range between charges.
Musk reconfirmed that the range rating was for a Semi pulling a trailer at the maximum combined 82,000-pound weight allowed by law.
Elon Musk says Tesla will be building 50,000 Semis annually by 2024. ( REUTERS/Alexandria Sage/File Photo / Reuters Photos)
Electric trucks are allowed an extra 2,000 pounds to help offset the weight of their batteries under a law passed in 2019.
"Very important, no sacrifice to cargo capacity, 500-mile range," he said, clarifying that by adding, "Yeah, 500 miles with the cargo on level ground. Yeah, sure. Not up. It's excellent."
The Semi is expected to be built at Tesla's factory in Sparks, Nevada, where it currently manufactures electric motors and battery packs, according to insider reports. However, Tesla has not officially detailed production plans.
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Musk also said that the Semi relies on the companies older 2170 battery cell design rather than the larger, more energy dense 4680 that is being rolled out in the Model Y SUV and will be a key component of the Cybertruck, which is currently scheduled to enter production in the middle of next year.
The Tesla Semi features an unusual central driving position. (REUTERS/Alexandria Sage/File Photo / Reuters Photos)
A 50,000 annual Semi sales figure would make Tesla the second-largest Class 8 truck seller in North America behind Freightliner and ahead of Kenworth, based on historic sales.
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Those brands have recently introduced their own electric semis, with ranges of 230 miles and 150 miles, respectively.