The Tesla Semi won't be available widely until next year, but Tesla has been hard at work updating the truck, including its charging capabilities.
According to Not a Tesla App, Tesla announced a slew of updates to the Semi at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo. One of them was that the company is working on making the battery more cost-efficient for manufacturing. It's also a smaller battery, but it will still have the same mileage. Customers will be able to buy the Tesla Semi in 500- and 300-mile ranges.
Tesla is also building up the charging infrastructure. It currently has 46 charging sites under development along major truck routes and plans to expand in 2026 and 2027.
The electric vehicle company is working with a Megawatt Charging System, similar to the Supercharger but with a larger power output.
"Tesla is aiming to offer the lowest possible energy costs to operators to help incentivize adoption," wrote Not a Tesla App.
Tesla Semi's latest feature is an Electric Power Take-off or e-PTO, which is similar to other Teslas. This feature will allow the battery to power auxiliary equipment, such as controlling the temperature in the trailer. Climate control capabilities can be useful if the products being transported must be kept at a specific temperature.
Tesla's updates to the battery could make the vehicle more affordable, because when production costs are lower, companies can transfer that cost savings to the customer.
The electric vehicle company is making it more seamless for businesses to adopt electric trucks by placing the charging network on major truck routes.
The ability to electrify the trailers will also greatly benefit businesses and the environment.
According to Keep it Cold, electrifying the trailer saves on maintenance costs. Climate control trailers can cost a lot to fix, but electric ones don't need to be fixed as often — in part because they have fewer complicated parts than traditional trailers that rely on diesel.
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Cost 💰 Electric semis can also reduce noise pollution, so those communities in high-traffic truck zones won't have to deal with the annoying road noise.
Typical climate control trailers also cause a lot of air pollution because they are powered by dirty energy. By electrifying it, drivers won't release harmful gases as they drive, making it cleaner for the communities they drive by and better for the planet.
Even though Tesla has seen its profits plummet early in 2025 amid CEO Elon Musk's polarizing political involvement and factors such as more EV options on the market, the company is still set to scale the Semi in 2026, with the Gigafactory Nevada expanding in preparation.
The company is also hiring more than 1,000 people for the factory, per Reuters.
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