Tesla Semi spotted in the wild as rumors about production ramp-up emerge

It was November 2017 when Tesla took the commercial vehicle segment by storm with the unveiling of the Semi concept. The production version was eventually delayed for a 2021 launch, and according to Elon Musk, the company will live up to that latest promise by starting deliveries late this year. In the meantime, more and more prototypes of the Semi have been spotted out and about.

YouTuber Cory Draper stumbled upon a Semi resting on a trailer, presumably after a hard day of testing judging by the amount of dirt plastered all over the massive windshield and cab. According to the host, this is a fully functional prototype and we’re tempted to agree, judging by the near-production look. It goes to show Tesla is pressing ahead with the development in an attempt to get the ball rolling in terms of customer deliveries by the end of the year.

An undisclosed supplier of Tesla has shared yet-to-be-confirmed details regarding the production ramp-up of the Semi. From May 2021, the release candidate (RC) series will commence before the start of pilot series production in July. Come August, series production is allegedly scheduled to start. During this year, Tesla will reportedly put together a total of 2,500 Semi units for customers.

For the first full year of production, a full 10,000 examples are programmed to be assembled in 2022. The European version of the Semi is planned to enter production in 2023 when Tesla will boost output to 25,000. The volume is unlikely to change in 2024, but nothing is official at this point so take the numbers with the proverbial pinch of salt, especially since Tesla is known to make changes on the go.

Compared to the initial concept introduced a few years ago, the production version is going to look slightly different by adopting new door handles, headlights, and taillights, along with a revised windshield and some other design details. The prototype spotted here is likely an accurate indication of what to expect from the final product (hopefully) coming in the following months.

Source: Cory Draper / YouTube, Sawyer Merritt / Twitter