Autonomous delivery breakthrough at Tesla amidst Musk's assistant dismissals, unofficial semi truck updates, and speculation, following a blow for Xiaomi.
Tesla's electric semi-truck, the Semi, is gearing up for a significant milestone as it nears high-volume production, with an anticipated start in late 2025. The company has been preparing for this by constructing a separate factory adjacent to its Gigafactory Nevada specifically for the Semi, and setting up the production lines[1][2].
Rumours of a refreshed version of the Semi have surfaced, suggesting potential internal improvements such as battery management system (BMS) and firmware updates, along with some external design changes[2]. Tesla is also planning to sell the Semi in Europe, where they are building a regional business development team under the leadership of Usuf Schermo[3]. The company aims to increase production capacity to 50,000 trucks annually[1].
The Semi's journey, however, has not been without delays. Initially scheduled to begin production in 2020, the first deliveries to customers only started at the end of 2023[4]. Despite the setbacks, the Semi is now on track for a formal launch and wider availability by the end of 2025[1][4].
Meanwhile, Tesla's market presence is expanding beyond its home turf. On June 22, Tesla began operating "Robotaxis" in Austin, Texas[5]. The company's cheapest Model Y offers a range of 593 kilometers with 62.5 kilowatt hours[6]. Interestingly, Tesla's Model Y competes with Xiaomi's YU7, an SUV that costs less in comparable configurations and reportedly received 200,000 orders within three minutes[7].
In other news, Tesla's sales in China and Europe have shown a downward trend in recent months. The company's Vice-President for Sales in North America and Europe, Omead Afshar, has also recently left the company[8].
Intriguingly, a human monitor is always present in the passenger seat of Tesla Robotaxis, while they are remotely monitored by the company[9]. On Friday, a Model Y was delivered autonomously from the Tesla factory to a customer in Austin, with no one in the car during the autonomous delivery[10].
Tesla is expected to announce an update about the Semi by no later than June[11]. The service area for the Robotaxis is currently limited in Austin, and the Tesla Semi Europe launch is expected in 2026[12].
- The upcoming formal launch of Tesla's electric semi-truck, the Semi, is anticipated to take place in late 2025, marking a significant milestone as it nears high-volume production.
- Tesla is reportedly working on a refreshed version of the Semi, with potential improvements in battery management system (BMS), firmware, and design changes.
- Tesla plans to sell the Semi in Europe, aiming to increase production capacity to 50,000 trucks annually, and has appointed Usuf Schermo to lead its regional business development team for the region.
- In the realm of transportation and technology, Tesla's Model Y competes with Xiaomi's YU7, an affordable SUV that garnered 200,000 orders in just three minutes.
- As Tesla expands its market presence, artificial-intelligence-driven initiatives such as "Robotaxis" are being rolled out, with a Model Y being delivered autonomously from the factory to a customer in Austin. The service area for these autonomous vehicles is currently limited, and the Tesla Semi Europe launch is expected in 2026.
