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Tesla Semi Reservations Open, $20,000 Deposit Required, No One Knows When You'll Get It

Unveiled five years ago next to the new Roadster, the Tesla Semi was supposed to hit the road in 2019. Then, they said that it will launch in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Tesla Semi 7 photos
Photo: Tesla
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Musk himself claimed that there will not be any new Tesla launches this year, in light of the global industrial situation, so the latest reports suggest that it has been pushed back by another year. If everything goes according to plan, then we might see it in 2023, though that seems like a very optimistic scenario.

Now, on a more positive note, Tesla hasn’t forgotten about the Semi. In fact, they have now opened the reservation books for the electric rig, with their official website revealing that they are accepting fully-refundable $20,000 deposits for each one. A $5,000 down payment is required at first, and then interested parties have 10 days to transfer the remaining $15,000 in the United States.

That cost will be deducted from the total overall price of the Tesla Semi, which hasn’t been updated at all since 2017, despite the inflation. Thus, we wouldn’t be surprised if the company ends up bumping the cost of the vehicle by the time it arrives. And speaking of money, you are looking at $150,000 for the base version that offers a 300-mile (483-km) range and $180,000 for the one that can travel for 500 miles (805 km) in between charges.

Mind you, that’s not bad at all, considering that that’s how much an ICE-powered sleeper normally costs, and that the Semi has the instant thrust provided by the electric motors powering the two back axles on its side. Tesla says that the 80,000-pound (36,287-kg) Semi and trailer can hit 60 mph (97 kph) in less than 20 seconds, but that is probably irrelevant to truck drivers, unlike the claim that it can hit 60 mph up a 5% grade.
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About the author: Cristian Gnaticov
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After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s.
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