Tesla may soon bring the Semi to production at Gigafactory Berlin in Germany, Handelsblatt reports, citing Chief Elon Musk’s remarks during his visit to the European factory.
Tesla to bring Semi production in Europe
Tesla boss Elon Musk announced the electric vehicle giant’s plans to produce its Class 8 electric truck Semi at Gigafactory Berlin during his visit to Grünheide on Wednesday. As of now, the factory is only producing the world’s top-selling vehicle, the Tesla Model Y crossover.
“I think it makes sense to produce the Tesla Semi in Europe in Gigafactory Berlin.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk (via Handelsblatt)
Notably, the sudden visit came after a suspected arson attack caused a power outage that affected the factory’s production for several days. CEO Musk went there to attend the reopening of the Gigafactory Berlin after suspending production for over a week.
Tesla Semi’s production progress
Tesla initially introduced the Semi in 2017. It is currently undergoing limited production at an existing facility outside Gigafactory Nevada.
The Musk-led company announced in January last year a major expansion of Gigafactory Nevada to support the production of the Semi truck and 4680 battery cells. However, this did not materialize for a year. In January 2024, the American automaker finally broke ground on the expansion project.
CEO Musk apparently aims to hit high-volume production for the Semi by the end of the year, Tesla North reported.
Tesla Semi’s potential success in Europe
Chief Elon Musk did not disclose the exact date for the planned Semi production in Giga Berlin. It is unsurprising, given that it probably has more work to do before officially starting the project.
Schmidt Automotive founder Matthias Schmidt envisions a “definite market” for the Tesla Semi in the European market. Schmidt emphasizes the need to convince logistics companies of Semi’s viability as they operate on narrow margins.
The Tesla Semi indeed has the potential to revolutionize the trucking industry with its electric power and high-tech features. Its imminent production in Giga Berlin can expand its reach across Europe and possibly beyond.
