First Tesla Semi At High Production Line Completed

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The above photograph shows a huge number of Tesla employees around their first Tesla Semi completed at the vehicle’s high-production line. Tesla has an enormous number of employees that are not the CEO. Their work counts more than the activities of one executive.

There was a tremendous response on X to the simple announcement from Tesla. One commenter wrote: “I have high hopes for this Semi. Much of our air quality can be helped by getting rid of the massive diesel rigs criscrossing the country. Win for the air quality, win for the truck driver that brings most of what we need every day to us.”

Diesel emissions and gas emissions from vehicles contribute greatly to toxic air pollution that harms human health and CO2 emissions that contribute to climate change. Some of the reporting about electric semi trucks misses the fact that diesel exhaust harms human health, instead focusing on the carbon emissions only, which is quite an oversight.

Another is failing to mention the energy efficiency of electric motors. Gas and diesel engines waste most of their energy before it is used to move vehicles. A Tesla Semi is much more energy efficient than a diesel semi truck.

 The Tesla Semi has been long in development and testing, running various piloting routes at companies such as PepsiCo and DHL for almost a decade. Supposedly, the new high-production line can produce 50,000 Tesla Semis per year.

In February, it was announced Tesla would expand its Megacharger offerings, which support Tesla Semis. “In California, the Tesla and Pilot Semi chargers will be installed along the state’s major transportation artery, I-5, which spans the whole state from North to South. I-10 is a primary freeway in the Los Angeles area and east of the huge metropolis. The Tesla heavy-duty truck chargers will be installed at Pilot Centers along it as well.”

Just a month ago, Jay Leno did a good job taking a new Tesla Semi out for a drive in Southern California while having an informative chat with Tesla employees who have worked hard on developing the big all-electric truck. Driving it was a quiet, comfortable experience and the truck was noted to have a tight turning radius, which would be beneficial to professional truck drivers in cramped spaces when they are trying to maneuver.

Another benefit to not using diesel engines with their toxic emissions is that semi truck drivers don’t have to breath all their own exhaust and fuel fumes. Sometimes diesel truck drivers sleep in their trucks while idling and they can breathe toxic air pollution while they are sleeping. They also sometimes park near other idling diesel trucks which also produce toxic air pollution. Fully electric vehicles do not directly produce any toxic emissions.