Electric vehicle giant Tesla is gearing up to launch the Semi Class 8 electric truck in Europe, as confirmed by a company executive and recent job listings.
Tesla Semi head of biz dev announces European market entry
Tesla’s Business Development Head for the Semi program announced that the Musk-led electric automaker is now “taking steps” to launch the Semi in the European market.
“We are taking steps to bring the Tesla Semi to Europe, and I’m looking for someone with industry experience in electrification to help us develop this exciting new market. This is a groundbreaking product that meaningfully advances Tesla’s mission, and the team behind it is world-class. Let the wild rumpus begin.”
Graham Carroll, Head of the Semi’s Business Development in the US
Notably, Tesla has already started deploying a limited number of Semi trucks to very few customers in the United States, including PepsiCo, Costco, and Walmart, among others. However, it has yet to introduce the innovative Class 8 electric truck to foreign markets.
With the Semi’s European market launch now confirmed, Tesla will likely launch a production line at Giga Berlin. This aligns with Chief Executive Elon Musk’s remarks during his brief visit to the said factory in March 2024.
“I think it makes sense to produce the Semi truck in Europe at Giga Berlin.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk
Job listings
Apart from Mr. Carroll’s confirmation, Tesla also recently posted a new job listing on its Careers website.
As you can see in the job advertisement, Tesla is seeking a “Head of Business Development – Semi Truck EMEA (Amsterdam or Berlin).” The job responsibility will mainly focus on the Tesla Semi’s deployment in the European market.
“Tesla is seeking a Business Development Manager in Europe to build / maintain customer relationships and plan for Tesla’s future Semi Truck deployments. This person will regularly meet with prospective European Semi customers to understand their use cases, needs, and duty cycles.”
Tesla
Tesla Semi’s potential to dominate in Europe
Tesla is highly optimistic that the all-electric Semi is a groundbreaking innovation, surpassing the capabilities of all other models in its category.
The Semi has already demonstrated its strong potential to lead the European electric truck market in real-world tests at the Run on Less event, showcasing its all-electric range, charging efficiency, and performance advantages.
In addition, the European Commission outlined that the average Semi tractor-trailer in the region traveled about 141.3km (~88mi). In comparison, the Tesla Semi offers a range of about 800km (500 mi). Therefore, the Tesla electric truck could undoubtedly complete several trips back and forth even without stopping/charging.
Tesla has already kicked off the construction of the new Semi Factory beside Giga Nevada in Texas. The EV giant expects the facility to come online in late 2025 and achieve large-scale production sometime in 2026. On the other hand, Tesla has yet to announce more details about CEO Musk’s previous remarks about a potential Semi production at Giga Berlin.
The Tesla Semi can revolutionize the trucking industry with its 500-mile driving range on a single charge even with a full load. The potential integration of Tesla’s FSD can also make it easier for truck drivers to complete their daily trips.
