TESLA

Tesla Semi electric truck for Europe to be unveiled in September

Although it has taken a long time, Tesla's electric Semi truck is finally coming to the European market.

Tesla's electric truck will be unveiled at the Hanover Fair in September, where specifications and details of the European version will be revealed, which could potentially mean a market launch in 2027.

The fair will take place from September 15 to 20 and is considered the world's most important commercial vehicle show.

First unveiled in 2017, the Semi is set to go on sale in the US in 2022, but its availability in Europe has been in doubt until now, and it is still unclear what Europeans will actually get.

Tesla will be hoping that the Semi can invigorate the electric HGV segment in the same manner as it did with passenger cars a decade ago. Electric lorries from mainstream manufacturers are few and far between, and hauliers remain concerned about their range, charging and carrying capacities. To that end, Tesla claims the Semi is more powerful, more efficient and cheaper to operate than traditional lorries.

In the US, it is offered in two specifications. The Standard Range is claimed to be capable of covering 325 miles between charges and its tri-motor powertrain combines to send up to 1073bhp through its dual rear axles.

Tesla says it can replenish 60% of its range in 30min when connected to one of its Megachargers, which deliver up to 1200kW.

The Long Range version has the same powertrain, but an extended rear section of the cab holds additional batteries that boost its range to a claimed 500 miles.

It remains to be seen whether both versions of the Semi will be offered in Europe, but Tesla’s UK website quotes figures for only the Standard Range.

For reference, the 40-tonne MAN eTGX has power outputs of between 328bhp and 536bhp, ranges of up to 358 miles and the ability to recharge at up to 1000kW. The Mercedes eActros 600 has a range of 311 miles and is due to gain megawatt charging capabilities in the future.

The Semi was first revealed in 2017 but faced a stunted development cycle, and the first examples entered operation with PepsiCo in the US five years later. Tesla has yet to disclose how many Semis it has delivered but recently sold 500 examples to Swedish transport firm Einride, which is claimed to be the biggest single order for the lorry yet.

In the US, the Semi is offered in Standard Range and Long Range versions. The base version has a range of 523 km, while the second version increases that range to 805 km. Both versions use three electric motors that develop up to 1,088 hp.

To achieve these range values, huge batteries are needed, so a 548 kWh battery is in the Standard Range truck, while the Long Range model is powered by an 822 kWh battery. Trying to charge them even with a 250 kW car charger would take forever, so the Semi can be charged with up to 1.2 MW, which potentially allows it to "inject" a significant amount of energy into the battery during a simple coffee stop and a trip to the toilet. Tesla moved from trial production to full-scale production of the redesigned Semi truck at its factory in Nevada in April of this year, and hopes to produce 50,000 vehicles annually when production reaches full capacity. 

Tesla confirmed that its Semi electric truck is coming to Europe, and that it will reveal the specs and launch details next month at IAA Transportation, the continent’s largest commercial vehicle show.

The Tesla Semi account posted that “specs & launch details for Semi in Europe” will be “unveiled at IAA Transportation in Hannover, Germany,” which runs September 15-20. A Semi will be on display at the show.

The announcement is short on detail by design. Tesla isn’t giving European range figures, pricing, or an on-sale date yet. It’s committing to bring the truck to Hannover and put numbers on the board there.

Tesla has been publicly gearing up to sell the Semi in Europe since last year, and at IAA 2024 it brought a truck but said almost nothing about an actual market plan. This time it’s framing Hannover as the launch venue, which is the clearest signal yet that Europe is happening rather than being perpetually “coming.”

What Europe will get, at least mechanically, is the truck Tesla is already building in Nevada. Tesla revealed final specs in February for two trims: a Standard Range rated at 325 miles (523 km) and a Long Range at 500 miles (800 km). Both run an 800-kW tri-motor drivetrain rated at 1,072 hp and charge at up to 1.2-MW Megacharger speeds.

Tesla is quoting $290,000 for the Long Range Semi and roughly $260,000 for the Standard Range in the US — the lowest-priced Class 8 battery-electric tractor on that market. What those trucks cost in euros, and where they’ll be built for Europe, are open questions the reveal will need to answer.

Production is finally real...A European launch gives some credibility to Tesla finally achieving volume production of the long-delayed truck.

Tesla rolled the first Semi off its high-volume production line at Gigafactory Nevada in April. That dedicated 1.7-million-square-foot plant is designed for 50,000 trucks a year, and it’s what turned the Semi from a nine-year “coming soon” into something fleets can order.

Demand has followed the production. This week, Swedish freight-tech company Einride placed the largest Semi order yet at 500 trucks — though notably for its North American fleet, not Europe. PepsiCo now runs close to 100 Semis in California.

Mercedes-Benz’s eActros 600, a long-haul electric truck with about 500 km of range and a 600-kWh battery, is already on the road in 15 European countries. Volvo Trucks, the region’s electric heavy-truck sales leader, unveiled a new generation of electric HGVs in April. MAN, Scania, Renault Trucks, and DAF all have battery-electric Class 8 tractors in production or delivery.

These aren’t concepts. European fleets have been buying and running electric long-haul trucks from domestic brands with established service networks, homologation, and dealer support — the exact infrastructure Tesla still has to build out on the continent.

But in the US at least, Tesla appears to have cost and range advantages. At the unveiling at IAA next month, we should see if these advantages carry over to Europe.

The Standard Range costs $260,000, which corresponds to 222,000 euros, while the Long Range requires about $300,000, or 257,000 euros. However, prices after taxes in Europe could be higher. Mercedes' eActros 600 is sold on the Old Continent for around 300,000 to 400,000 euros, which is 350,000 to 470,000 dollars.

Autonews