We’ve seen Jay Leno drive all sorts of rare and exotic cars over the years, but the episodes that stand out the most are always those that feature unexpected vehicles, such as tractors, buses, semi trucks, fire engines, tanks, and even steam locomotives.
You probably remember Jay Leno drove a pre-production version of the Tesla Semi Class 8 electric truck in October 2023 in a famous episode that saw the famous car collector and TV personality towing a trailer with another Tesla Semi on it. That made for great television and gave people an idea of what the Semi is all about.
Jay Leno Is the First Person Outside of Tesla to Drive a Production-Spec Semi
Well, the Tesla Semi is back at Jay Leno’s Garage, and this time we’re talking the final, facelifted version—by the way, is this the first vehicle that received a facelift before even becoming available to the general public? After approximately three years of pilot programs, the Semi appears to be finally ready for prime time as it is set to begin high-volume production this year at Gigafactory Nevada, with a target output of 50,000 units per year.
Jay Leno’s contact with the finished production-spec Semi is very informative, as we get to learn a lot of new info from Tesla Semi program director Dan Priestley and Tesla’s director of styling, Franz von Holzhausen. If you’re an electric truck nerd, you’ll love this video, but even if you’re not, you’ll learn some surprising things about the Semi.
For example, Priestley told Jay Leno the Semi team managed to cut 1,000 pounds of weight from the truck since the October 2023 visit, bringing the 500-mile version to payload parity with diesel-powered Class 8 trucks. Mind you, there’s a significant clarification to be made here: the parity is achieved after a 2,000-lb federal weight exemption is factored in; still, it’s an important achievement that will no doubt help the Semi’s case in the market.
The 325-mile standard-range version of the Semi is obviously lighter as it removes one of the three parallel battery packs and reduces the wheelbase. The latter helps the entry-level Semi achieve a turning radius comparable to that of a Model 3 or Model Y, and Jay Leno got to experience that first-hand.
Tesla research shows Class 8 truck customers want to be able to haul payloads of 45,000 lbs, and the 500-mile Semi is perfectly capable of doing so, Priestley said. Jay Leno was impressed, and the title of his video—“The Death of Diesel?”—pretty much says it all.
The Highest-Mileage Truck in the Tesla Semi Fleet Is at 440,000 Miles
We also learn from the video that the recent facelift has improved the Tesla Semi’s drag coefficient by 7% to 0.4, which is impressive for a semi truck. That translates into more efficiency and a slightly smaller battery, freeing up payload capacity in the process.
There’s a lot to unpack from the video, including the fact that Tesla is considering offering inductive charging for the Semi, something that’s reportedly back in the cards for the Cybertruck as well. Currently, the Semi can charge at 1.2 megawatts at Megacharger stations, adding 300 miles of range in just 30 minutes. The structural battery pack is designed to last 1 million miles in its original duty cycle; that’s one of the Semi’s key USPs for fleet operators.
Tesla execs wouldn’t say how many Semis are currently on the road, with Priestley noting that “a few hundred” were made since October 2023. He did say that there’s “ample demand” for it, including from independent truck operators.
The Tesla Semi fleet has covered a total of over 13.5 million miles, with the highest-mileage truck hitting almost 440,000 miles. Check out the video to learn more about the Semi, including its clever dual-axle powertrain, interior features, Cybertruck commonalities, and costs. No prices were disclosed, but a previous Electrek report estimated the 325-mile Semi would start at around $260,000, while the 500-mile version would be priced from $290,000.
