Elon Musk has pushed production of the high-tech Tesla Semi truck to 2020 as a result of the company’s limited battery supply.
The all-electric HGV had originally been slated for production this year, accompanied by a starting price of $150,000 (£113,000).
The announcement was made by Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, at a recent shareholder meeting where he said: “There’s not much point in adding product complexity if we don’t have enough batteries; then that’s complexity but without gain.
“We’re matching the product roll out according to the scaling of battery production; that’s really the main limiting factor.”
Tesla Semi mules have already been spotted out on the road, having first been revealed back in December 2017. It is claimed that the Tesla Semi can do everything a traditional diesel-powered truck can do, albeit with more performance and, of course, zero emissions.
Despite the setback, customers are still able to reserve a Tesla Semi, with a deposit of $20,000 (£15,000) securing a build slot. The standard model is capable of driving up to 300 miles on a single charge alone, while an upgraded version has a claimed 500-mile range. This latter version commands a higher price tag, up to $180,000 (£135,000).
Despite its size, Tesla claims that the Semi will go from 0-60mph in just five seconds, and when towing 36 tonnes of load weight, it’ll finish the same sprint in 20 seconds.
