American media Electrek reported a statement from Elon Musk regarding his gigantic vehicle, the Tesla Semi. On March 14, the businessman was visiting the Tesla Giga Berlin, the company's factory located in Grünheide. He stated : ” I think it makes sense to produce the Tesla Semi in Europe in the Berlin Gigafactory”. At the moment, the Tesla Semi is only produced in very limited quantities in the Nevada Gigafactory.
An upcoming arrival in Europe?
The Berlin Gigafactory will therefore be the cradle of Tesla's heavy-duty truck production ; at least, that's what Musk's statement suggests. As is customary with the latter, no timetable or more precise information was given. There is still a long way to go before the Tesla Semi is produced on a global scale, and we are largely accustomed to the brand's typical delays in relation to its CEO's announcements.
For the moment, the Berlin factory only produces Tesla Model Y, and its infrastructure will certainly have to be adapted so that its production lines can support the production of the Semi.
Two years ago, Tomasz Orynski, a Polish trucker had widely criticized this vehiclecalling it “ completely stupid “. This media article Clean Automotive had relayed the words of this professional who did not mince his words and listed all the defects of the Semi. His conclusion was that “(…) ithe vehicle is a toy for the rich. It is not a practical and functional vehicle, because its designers have no idea of the reality of transport.”
For the moment, companies using Semi can be counted on the fingers of one hand ; at the moment, it is difficult to imagine whether it will meet the success expected by Tesla on the Old Continent.
A still timid production rate
Currently, the Nevada Gigafactory is not producing Semis at the rate Tesla expects. In June 2023, Elon Musk announced that it would produce 50,000 units per year. We are still very far from the goal, and an expansion of the factory is underway to increase production.
With this expansion, the Gigafactory will be able to produce on average five Semis per week, so 270 per year. Needless to say, the objective of 50,000 per year is, for the moment, out of reach. In any case, we will still have to wait for a proper announcement of the launch of production in Europe. A refrain to which Tesla has largely accustomed us for several years.
- Elon Musk has indicated that the Tesla Semi will be produced in the Berlin Gigafactory.
- However, no precise date was given by the CEO.
- For the moment, Tesla is still very far from its Semi production goals in the United States.
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