Delayed Again, Does the Tesla Semi Share the Same Fate as the Cybertruck?
- Published on 25/10/2025 9:45
- Modified on 25/10/2025 9:48
Tesla has confirmed yet another delay in the development of its electric truck Semi, which will not be produced before 2026… at the earliest.
Presented as a revolution in road transport when revealed in 2017, the Tesla Semi has still not exited the experimental phase. After promising a launch in 2019, then in 2023, then in 2024, then in 2025, Tesla now confirms that large-scale production of their electric truck will ultimately not happen before 2026. Even worse, its price is said to have skyrocketed.
When Elon Musk unveiled the Tesla Semi, he promised to revolutionize global logistics with a 100% electric heavy-duty vehicle capable of traveling up to 800 km per charge. Eight years later, that promise has turned into a series of delays and contradictory announcements.
After delivering a handful to PepsiCo in 2022, Tesla had claimed that mass production would follow. However, at the Nevada factory, only a few dozen trucks have ultimately been produced as part of development programs. The manufacturer even vowed, in early 2024, that “the real start” would be for 2025, before backtracking once again: industrial production is now not expected to start before the second half of 2026.
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Tesla Semi, a price that’s soaring?
Adding to these delays is another piece of bad news: the price of the Tesla Semi is skyrocketing. According to recent documents and exchanges between American transporter Ryder and Californian authorities, the project’s cost has faced “dramatic economic changes.” As a result, Ryder, despite being a long-standing partner in the program, reduced its order from 42 to 18 trucks, while maintaining an investment of $7.5 million. Clearly, the unit price of the Semi has more than doubled compared to initial estimates.
At its 2017 debut, Tesla announced a price of $150,000 for the 480 km range version and $180,000 for the 800 km range version. Those figures placed the Semi in the same price range as a conventional diesel truck. But today’s numbers shatter that economic logic, with Tesla not officially commenting on the new prices.
A stalled project despite optimistic communication
Responding to criticism, Dan Priestley, head of the Tesla Semi program, tried to reassure by stating that there were “no changes to the schedule” and that “several conclusions” reported by the press were “incorrect.” However, reality contradicts this narrative:
• the new Nevada factory has still not produced a single commercial unit,
• pre-production is only set to begin in 2026,
• and even institutional clients mention delays and rising costs.
This unclear, sometimes contradictory communication echoes other past Tesla incidents where initial ambitions clashed with more complex-than-expected industrial realities. Starting with the Tesla Cybertruck, which faced incessant delays, then a doubling of its price… and ultimately a commercial career almost bordering on failure.
The Tesla Semi was meant to symbolize the future of freight: a significant reduction in emissions and lower operating costs thanks to electricity. But rising purchase prices and successive delays are likely to discourage transport companies, already facing tight margins and regulatory uncertainties.
Meanwhile, competitors—Volvo Trucks or Mercedes among them—are already capturing market share in electric trucks. If Tesla finally manages to deliver in 2026, the market probably won’t wait for it. In sum, the Tesla Semi once again illustrates the paradox of the Californian brand: bold vision, but laborious execution. The electric truck Musk was supposed to start rolling out in 2019. By 2026, it might finally be on the road… but at what cost?
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This page is translated from the original post "Encore retardé, le Tesla Semi a-t-il le destin raté du Cybertruck ?" in French.
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