Tesla Semi Not Coming Till 2022 (or Later) Due to Lack of Battery Cells

Those of us who follow Tesla closely, and especially those of us who consider the Tesla Semi to be the most exciting Tesla vehicle, were feeling a little bit of excitement rising about the Tesla Semi program. Personally, I was hoping for a surprise announcement sometime later this year that it was coming to market sooner than previously predicted. Alas, that’s not going to happen.

We recently reported that Tesla has created a “Heavy Duty Trucking” department and Jerome Guillen heads up that division. (Read this article for more on all of that, and read about our previous articles about our interview with Guillen for deeper background on the Tesla Semi program: “Jerome — The Man, The Myth, The Tesla Super-Engineer” and “Our Interview With Tesla President Jerome Guillen, Part Deux.”)

Also, this month, Tesla itself released a “spy shot” video of the Tesla Semi lapping a track, and Pepsi provided an update on its Tesla Semi order.

Last month, rumor had it that Tesla Semi production would begin in mid 2021, and it was reported in January that Tesla Semi deliveries would begin in 2021. Then there was the news that more Tesla Semi engineers were being hired in Nevada. Though, we may have read too much into that.

As has been the case for years, the Tesla Semi cannot go into production (or it’s not logical to put it into production) because Tesla doesn’t have enough battery cells for it. One has to wonder how long this will actually be the case. After all, Tesla is quickly building a lot more production capacity for the Model 3, Model Y, and perhaps Cybertruck.

Related story: Lithium & Other Battery Mineral Experts: 30–50% EV Market Share In 2030 = Upper Limit.