(VIDEO) Elon Musk Tesla Semi Tweet Ignites Buzz: 500-Mile EV Truck Set for 2026 Mass Production |
AUSTIN, Texas — Elon Musk reignited excitement around Tesla Inc.'s long-awaited electric semi-truck Wednesday with a simple two-word post on X that quickly racked up millions of views, spotlighting the production-version Tesla Semi as the company prepares for customer deliveries later this year.
Musk's post, which quoted a detailed video and spec sheet, read simply "Tesla Semi" and featured the distinctive low hum of the all-electric Class 8 truck accelerating under load. The clip and accompanying facts — 500 miles of range with a full payload, 1.7 kilowatt-hours per mile efficiency and a tri-motor powertrain delivering roughly 1,073 horsepower — spread rapidly, drawing more than 13.7 million views within hours.
Tesla Semi https://t.co/VgWjEdwu04— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 15, 2026
Tesla Semi https://t.co/VgWjEdwu04
The timing could hardly be better for Tesla. Less than 24 hours earlier the company's shares had jumped more than 4 percent in morning trading amid broader optimism about autonomy and new product ramps. At around $379 midday Wednesday, TSLA stock reflected renewed investor interest in Tesla's push beyond passenger vehicles into heavy-duty trucking, energy storage and robotics.
Tesla's official website now prominently displays "Deliveries Start in 2026" for the Semi, confirming what Musk first signaled in February when he declared high-volume production would begin this year at Gigafactory Nevada. The refreshed design, which received a facelift in late 2025, comes in two variants: a Standard Range model with 325 miles of range and a Long Range version capable of 500 miles, both rated for an 82,000-pound gross combination weight.
Efficiency stands out as the headline advantage. Tesla claims 1.7 kWh per mile even at full load — roughly one-third the energy equivalent of conventional diesel semis, which typically consume 5 to 7 kWh per mile. The Long Range model's battery, built with the same 4680 cells used in the Cybertruck, is engineered for 1 million miles of service life. Curb weight for the Long Range stays relatively light at about 23,000 pounds, preserving........