Tesla Semi Production Comes Alive as Top Gear Tech Tours Nevada Then Rides the Finished Truck

Jack Scarlett opened the first episode of Top Gear Tech by walking into a finished production Tesla Semi eight years after the 2017 reveal. A small pilot fleet reached customers in late 2022. Those trucks and later units have now logged about 17 million test miles that fed the version now leaving the line.

Sparks, Nevada is home to a massive 1.7 million square foot plant that cost $3.6 billion and is capable of constructing 50,000 trucks per year, or nearly 1,000 per week when it’s running at full speed. Tesla developed the entire truck and building from the ground up to maximize speed, dependability, and cost effectiveness, rather than welding together an existing diesel chassis. They chose to use a powder-coating process rather than a regular paint shop, as they already do with their Megapack energy products. Apparently, it saves capital costs and floor space, reduces pollutants, and still produces a good finish. The base color is white, although fleet owners can add their own custom colors later if desired. They also have a handy equipment that tightens all ten wheel lug nuts in one go, saving time and effort.

Another thing they did was leave the cabs open at the back so that large interior components such as the dashboard and seats could be installed from behind, rather than having to force them through the door. Plus, center seating allows them to use the same tooling for every market, which is a game changer. Inside, a six-foot-six individual can easily stand erect. Heated and cooled seats reduce the stress on the cabin temperature control system, and a creative new seatbelt design incorporates a bright infrared coating that reminds the driver to fasten up.

The sun visor is a large magnetic device that folds in half, and the windshield is enormous. In fact, it is so large that it eliminates the five-meter blind spot that is common on ordinary American long-nose trucks. The redesigned front fascia features the same Model Y light-bar design and is divided into three portions that can be replaced if damaged. They’ve also managed to increase aerodynamics by three percent over previous prototypes, and without a trailer, the drag number is even lower than that of a Bugatti Chiron.

Standard-range trucks are equipped with a 548 kWh battery pack made up of 4680 cells. Long-range variants add a third module, thereby doubling the capacity. They claim an efficiency of approximately 1.7 kWh per mile. In terms of range, they’re aiming at 325 or 500 miles, which is roughly equivalent to a regular day’s driving in the United States or Europe. A 30-minute pause can add roughly 60% charge, which is sufficient. They have three motors generating approximately 1,076 horsepower, with a high-torque axle that handles launch and climbs before decoupling and allowing a more efficient motor to take over while cruising along empty. That allows you to accelerate from 0 to 60 in roughly 12.5 seconds, or 24 seconds with a load, and on a three percent incline, the truck maintains a steady 65 mph, but a diesel frequently drops to 50.