Ashlee Vance just dropped a fantastic Core Memory video that gives us our best look yet inside Tesla’s brand-new dedicated Semi factory in Sparks, Nevada. And let me tell you, it’s impressive. Enjoy these amazing shots of the tour!
Aerial view of a production Tesla Semi electric truck in action on a Nevada highway — captured directly from Ashlee Vance’s Core Memory video. The white Tesla Semi hauls a McKinney-branded trailer alongside regular traffic, with orange construction barriers and desert scrub in the background. This real-world driving shot highlights the all-electric Class 8 semi now rolling out of Tesla’s new dedicated factory in Sparks, Nevada.
The factory, which broke ground less than two years ago, is already coming to life with real assembly lines moving. We’re talking giant red Tesla robotic arms, massive overhead carriers, and that eye-catching glowing “light tunnel” at the end of the line for final inspection. This is a serious production ramp.
Inside Tesla’s new dedicated Semi factory in Sparks, Nevada, a production worker in a hard hat and safety vest stands beneath a massive red overhead gantry system as three large gold-colored battery packs are precisely lowered and installed into the chassis of a Tesla Semi during the critical “battery marriage” stage. Captured directly from Ashlee Vance’s Core Memory factory tour video, this shot shows the exact moment the long-range electric truck receives its power source — the same structural battery packs used in the Cybertruck.
For those of us who care about cleaning up the roads, this is huge. Diesel semis may be only a small percentage of vehicles, but they punch way above their weight when it comes to emissions. Each Tesla Semi that rolls out means zero tailpipe emissions and roughly 60-80% lower total greenhouse gas emissions compared to a traditional diesel rig, depending on the grid. That’s real progress for local air quality and our climate goals.
Viewed through heavy safety fencing inside Tesla’s new dedicated Semi factory in Sparks, Nevada, a glossy black Tesla Semi cab advances along the automated assembly line on a large white platform. Captured directly from Ashlee Vance’s Core Memory factory tour video, this production-stage shot shows the freshly painted truck cab — complete with protective white covering on the large windshield — as robotic arms (including the yellow H700) prepare it for the next phase of building the all-electric Class 8 semi.
Tesla is clearly moving beyond prototypes and into volume production. The factory tour shows a clean, high-tech environment built with first-principles thinking. This is exactly what we’ve come to expect.
Inside Tesla’s new dedicated Semi factory in Sparks, Nevada, a large red robotic arm holds the raw, unpainted silver cab shell of a Tesla Semi high above the factory floor during the early body-in-white assembly stage. Captured directly from Ashlee Vance’s Core Memory factory tour video, this striking shot shows the bare structural framework of the all-electric Class 8 truck before painting and final assembly.
Are Tesla Semi Batteries Structural?
Tesla Semi: Uses three separate, more cube-shaped structural battery packs (you saw them being lowered in the “battery marriage” shots in Ashlee Vance’s video). These packs are highly integrated into the chassis. They are mounted low and dense, directly contributing to the truck’s overall structural strength, torsional rigidity, and low center of gravity. Dan Priestley (Semi program lead) has described them as being “integrated really densely with the overall chassis to maximize structural performance.”
Inside Tesla’s new dedicated Semi factory in Sparks, Nevada, a proud technician in a stars-and-stripes hard hat and bright yellow Tesla safety vest watches intently as a massive gold structural battery pack — the heart of the long-range all-electric Semi — is installed into the chassis. Captured directly from Ashlee Vance’s Core Memory factory tour video.
Inside Semi Factory
Inside Tesla’s massive new dedicated Semi factory in Sparks, Nevada, rows of unpainted silver Tesla Semi cab shells line the expansive production floor ready for assembly, surrounded by towering stacks of structural materials and parts. Captured directly from Ashlee Vance’s Core Memory factory tour video, this sweeping wide-angle shot reveals the enormous scale of Tesla’s all-electric truck production ramp-up.
Vance and Dan Priestley, Tesla’s Semi program lead, walk through the facility, showing the raw cab shells gliding along conveyors, detailed chassis work, and finished trucks ready for the road. The new cab design looks driver-friendly with its center seating and glass-cockpit feel, plus 10 exterior cameras for safety.
Ashlee Vance tours Tesla’s new dedicated Semi factory in Sparks, Nevada, alongside Dan Priestley, Tesla’s Semi program lead, as they walk the vast production floor surrounded by advanced red robotic arms preparing for full-scale all-electric truck assembly. Captured directly from Ashlee Vance’s Core Memory factory tour video — offering a rare inside look at the massive ramp-up of Tesla Semi production.
Tesla Semi Production Line
A nearly complete white Tesla Semi cab sits on the assembly line inside Tesla’s new dedicated factory in Sparks, Nevada, with its doors open and interior seats visible as production ramps up. Captured directly from Ashlee Vance’s Core Memory factory tour video — proof that the all-electric Class 8 truck is moving from prototype to real-world production at serious scale.
Tesla Semi Chassis
A raw, partially assembled Tesla Semi chassis stands exposed on the factory line in Sparks, Nevada — doors open, interior wiring and structural panels visible — as workers oversee the build of Elon Musk’s game-changing all-electric Class 8 truck. Captured directly from Ashlee Vance’s Core Memory factory tour video, this provocative shot reveals how close Tesla is to flooding the roads with zero-emission semis.
Semi Massive Silver Axle
Up-close on the massive silver axle, air suspension, and heavy-duty black chassis frame of a Tesla Semi mounted on a red production rig — the raw mechanical backbone taking shape inside Tesla’s Sparks factory. Captured directly from Ashlee Vance’s Core Memory factory tour video, this provocative shot reveals the serious engineering Elon Musk is putting behind the all-electric Class 8 truck that’s poised to slash diesel pollution forever.A bare silver Tesla Semi cab shell glides along the overhead conveyor in Tesla’s Sparks Semi factory — raw, unpainted, and ready for full assembly. Captured directly from Ashlee Vance’s Core Memory factory tour video, this provocative shot shows Elon Musk’s vision for the all-electric Class 8 truck moving closer to reality with every inch of the production line.
One of the coolest moments? The “battery marriage,” where three structural battery packs (using the same 4680 cells as the Cybertruck) get lowered precisely into the chassis. These packs help deliver impressive efficiency (around 1.7 kWh per mile) and support both the Standard Range (~325 miles) and Long Range (~500 miles) versions.
In elegant symmetry worthy of Art Deco precision, three gleaming gold battery packs descend gracefully into the Tesla Semi chassis beneath a towering red gantry — the sacred “battery marriage” moment captured in Tesla’s Sparks factory. With deepest respect to Elon Musk’s visionary engineering, this majestic scene from Ashlee Vance’s Core Memory factory tour reveals the electric heart of the future Class 8 truck taking form, powered by the same 4680 cells used in the Cybertruck.
Long Range and Standard Range Tesla Semi
In sleek Art Deco symmetry, the Long Range and Standard Range Tesla Semi stand side-by-side at the charging station — two elegant expressions of power and efficiency. With deepest respect to Elon Musk’s visionary design, this refined scene from Ashlee Vance’s Core Memory factory tour reveals Tesla offering both variants to meet diverse fleet needs and price points, bringing the electric trucking revolution ever closer.
Same battery cells as Cybertruck
From first principles of engineering, three structural 4680 battery packs — using the same high-energy cells as the Cybertruck — are precisely mated into the Tesla Semi chassis on a massive red gantry during the critical “battery marriage” stage. With deepest respect to Elon Musk’s relentless pursuit of fundamental innovation, this powerful image from Ashlee Vance’s Core Memory factory tour captures the core of Tesla’s efficient, long-range electric truck production now scaling in Sparks, Nevada.
If you’ve been waiting for the electric trucking revolution to get real, this video (and these photos) suggest it’s happening right now.
Here, in all its glory, is the exclusive first look at the massive @Tesla Semi factory.
Our @corememory crew went to Nevada to see the line come to life, as it gets ready to pump out thousands of all-electric trucks. We saw the new cab and went on a drive too. Wunderbar! pic.twitter.com/a0S5zVEr87
The striking “light tunnel” final inspection station glows inside Tesla’s new dedicated Semi factory in Sparks, Nevada — where every completed truck will undergo meticulous surface and finish checks under intense, shadow-free lighting. Captured from Ashlee Vance’s Core Memory factory tour video, this dramatic end-of-line station highlights the high-quality standards built into Tesla’s all-electric Class 8 Semi production.
Tesla plans to build the world’s largest Supercharger station with 304 stalls, including 16 for Tesla Semis, in Firebaugh, California.
Tesla plans to expand its existing Supercharger site in Firebaugh, California, into the world’s largest with a total of 304 stalls — 288 for passenger vehicles and 16 dedicated for Tesla Semis — once complete.
This represents an 85% increase over Tesla’s current largest site (164 stalls at Oasis in Lost Hills, California). The project, approved via a conditional use permit last month, adds 232 new car stalls to the existing 56 (some sources note the current count as around 72, but the core expansion figure holds). It includes a separate area for Semi operations with its own access routes, plus an amenity building and outdoor seating primarily for truck drivers.
Here are examples of large-scale Tesla Supercharger sites for context:
— Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) March 13, 2021
Firebaugh sits along Interstate 5, a key corridor connecting Southern California ports to Central Valley and Bay Area distribution hubs. This strategic spot has made it a priority since the original site opened in 2020 as Tesla’s then-largest in the US with 56 stalls.
Why Firebaugh and why now
The expansion reflects long-term planning by Tesla’s charging team, coordinated with local utilities and jurisdictions. It accounts for forecasted EV adoption growth, with built-in flexibility to adjust pace based on real demand.
A Tesla Charging team member with years of experience emphasized this deliberate approach.
Here is the post from Tesla’s Max DeZegher, who has been building Superchargers since 2014:
Projects like Firebaugh are years in the making, and happen in coordination with the utility and jurisdiction.
It takes long-term forecasting, planning and flexibility (decelerating/accelerating based on demand), but @TeslaCharging will keep up with EV adoption. https://t.co/MVKbBHGQeE
The site’s location supports both consumer travel and commercial trucking, especially as Tesla ramps up the Semi program. Dedicated Megachargers for Semis signal confidence in heavy-duty electric transport along this major freight route.
Reactions from Tesla enthusiasts and observers
Enthusiasts and Tesla-focused accounts quickly highlighted the scale as a bold step in infrastructure for EVs and trucking.
Sawyer Merritt broke down the details early, noting the existing 56 stalls.
Here are key posts capturing the excitement:
NEWS: Tesla plans on building the largest Supercharger station in the world, with a whopping 304 charging stalls in total, including 16 Tesla Semi charging stalls.
• 288 charging stalls for cars • 16 stalls for Tesla Semis • Amenity area
This move positions Tesla far ahead in high-capacity charging, especially as more non-Tesla EVs gain access to Superchargers and Semi deployments increase. It underscores the company’s commitment to scaling ahead of demand along critical corridors, potentially reducing wait times and supporting broader EV and electric trucking adoption in California and beyond.
Firebaugh’s rural setting along I-5 provides ample space for this growth.
Tesla is known for its amazing events. Tesla events include employees first and foremost, some shareholders, and other guests. 2022 was another year of beautifully put together events, most of which were live-streamed for everybody to enjoy. This article looks back on all 5 major events in pictures. Hope you enjoy and I hope you have a HNY! Ring in 2023, it’s going to be a great year!
Giga Berlin Delivery Day and Flying Through Giga Berlin
Tesla Giga Berlin celebrated the delivery of the first German-made Model Y in March 2022 and in April they released the famous video “Flying Through Giga Berlin” which now has over 3.7 million views. This video flew the drone through the machines in-between cycles!
Tesla released an incredible new video titled: “Flying Through Giga Berlin” with Next-level drone shots! Link to youtube: Tesla
Hundreds of people gathered to celebrate the delivery of the first German-made Model Ys.
Photos of Giga Berlin Delivery Day courtesy Timo Schadat, Ralf @n628ts, Tesla, Inc.
Gigafactory Texas Cyber Rodeo
Cyber Rodeo was an extravagant party and very well done. It took place at Tesla Giga Texas here in Austin and some of the highlights were a chance to walk through the factory’s general assembly line, ask employees questions and get up close to the IDRA Giga presses.
The entire gigafactory was transformed into a magical light show with live music on different stages and a chance to see all of Tesla’s vehicles. Elon Musk and Franz von Holzhausen appeared on stage and the first 4680 Model Y was delivered. A drone show and fireworks display featured the famous dogecoin Shiba Inu to hundreds of cheering spectators. I was fortunate to go and was one of the last to leave!
Giga Texas’ Cyber Rodeo. All photos by Gail Alfar except photo 5. courtesy Elon Musk and photo 2 courtesy @Brandonee917
Cyber Roundup 2022 Tesla Annual Shareholder’s Meeting
The Cyber Roundup was Tesla’s kind way of saying thanks to you as a retail TSLA shareholder. This year’s meeting was the largest in-person meeting ever and it provided an opportunity to see products up close, take a factory tour, and even speak with Elon Musk.
Tesla Cyber Roundup photos by Gail Alfar
Tesla AI Day 2022 in Palo Alto
What amazed me about AI Day 2022 was that Tesla’s Optimus prototype has a brain and is working in the Fremont factory. It is significant that Optimus was shown doing jobs. This included watering plants, delivering packages, and at a Fremont factory workstation moving parts.
Photos Tesla AI Day 2022 courtesy Dirty Tesla, Chuck Cook, Tesla, Inc.
Tesla Semi Delivery at Gigafactory Nevada
In December Tesla invited Semi customers (industry professionals) and Tesla shareholders to celebrate. Attendees were treated to a tour of the Semi production line and could speak with engineers who built the Semi. They were invited to walk into the cabin of a Semi and meet Elon Musk onstage.
Photos Tesla Delivery event Gigafactory Nevada courtesy Teslavangelist (1,2,4) and (5) Arash Malek Scentwedge founder.
CONCLUSION
Tesla knows how to throw a party! I hope you have a wonderful 2023 and that your dreams and hopes come true.
Enjoy these in-depth articles featuring 2022 Tesla events!
Giant fork in the road leads to Tesla’s Optimus AI In the live demo at Tesla Palo Alto at AI Day 2022, Optimus sees the audience of potential employees and just knows that he is supposed to walk out to the middle of the stage and wave. When the music was playing, Optimus just knew it was okay to dance.
Gail Alfar, author. Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – December 31, 2022. All Rights Reserved. My goal as an author is to support Tesla (the most American vehicle manufacturer) and Elon Musk in both making life better on earth for humans and becoming a space-fairing civilization.
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Elon Musk talks at Tesla Semi Event. Image Courtesy Teslavangelist.
On December 1, Tesla held an event in Sparks, near Gigafactory Nevada. The event was attended by Semi customers (industry professionals) and Tesla shareholders by invite only. Attendees were treated to a tour of the Semi production line and could speak with engineers who built the Semi. They were invited to walk into the cabin of a Semi and meet Elon Musk onstage. Elon handed over keys personally to Ramon Laguarta, CEO of Pepsi and Steven Williams, CEO PepsiCo Foods, and the crowd went wild! In this article, I’ll highlight Elon’s vision for the Semi, share some exclusive photos of the event with you, and answer,
What will a Semi cost?
How far will the Semi go and how much can it carry?
Where do you charge it and how long does it take?
Tesla Semi Event: People tour production line and speak to engineers. Image Courtesy Arash Malek.
Elon Musk’s Vision for the Tesla Semi
Elon explained that although combination trucks account for only 1% of US vehicles sold, they account for 20% of US vehicle emissions, and an astonishing 36% of US vehicle particulate emissions. This is because these trucks are huge vehicles, which are being driven all the time,
“People might wonder, Why build a semi-truck? Because if you look at the actual unit volume, it’s small compared to passenger vehicles, so for passenger vehicles, it’s on the order of almost 100,000,000 that are sold every year. whereas for semi trucks, it’s four or 500,000 (globally).
In the USA there are probably like 15 million passenger vehicles and a couple 100,000 semi trucks, so it seems like a small percentage, but, it’s actually 20% of US vehicle emissions because you’ve got a huge vehicle and it’s being driven all the time.
So when you factor in the number of hours driven, and the weight that is carried, it’s actually, although it’s only 1% of vehicle production, it’s 20% of vehicle emissions. and it’s over 1/3 of all particulate emissions. From a sort of health standpoint, particularly in cities, this is a huge impact, like, it’s gigantic. So, that’s why we’re doing it!
In addition to climate change, and global warming matters it’s also quiet and it’s going to improve the quality of your air and it will actually just fundamentally improve the health of people living near freeways which is obviously sort of a big deal.
We’re aiming to cover all major forms of transport, it’s consistent with the Tesla mission because sometimes we get asked, shouldn’t Tesla just produce fast cars or premium cars or whatever? But what’s our actual mission? The actual mission is to accelerate the advent of sustainable energy. That’s why we’re making this wide range of cars that don’t really make sense from a brand standpoint I guess, traditionally. But they make total sense when you consider what’s the mission of the company.
The mission of the company is to accelerate sustainable energy. So it’s super consistent with that goal and really a crucial piece of the puzzle, and that’s why we’re doing it.”
Elon continued, “It looks sick, I mean you want to drive that, I mean that thing looks like it came from the future. I mean it drives like a, it’s like driving a Tesla, literally! And it’s fun, it looks awesome, and you know there’s actually a big shortage of drivers, and so if you are a truck driver and you want the most badass rig on the road, this is it! It’s a beast!”
Flashback to December 14, 2017. Elon Musk steps out of Semi after driving it onstage. Image Courtesy Tesla, Inc.
What will a Semi cost?
In 2017, Tesla offered the Semi (with a 500-mile range) for $180,000 and currently, Tesla offers a link to get updates on the Semi and does not take new reservations at this time. The cost, when the Semi becomes widely available, should be expected to be higher than the price offered in 2017. What do you think it will cost?
How far will the Semi go and how much can it carry?
In a test run video, the Tesla Semi was shown carrying 82,000 pounds and driving up an incline while passing a struggling traditional diesel semi. According to Tesla, the Class 8 Semi’s range per charge is between 300 and 500 miles when fully loaded at 82,000 lbs. Federal limits are 80,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, and battery-electric trucks are granted an extra ton through the Consolidated Appropriations Act (2019) by the Federal Highway Administration. Tesla built the Semi in an aerodynamic bullet shape in order to decrease the drag coefficient. The is .36 which is about half of a conventional diesel truck. The Semi’s energy consumption is stunning at less than 2 kWh/mile.
Semi is built like a bullet, not a barn wall—optimized for efficiency. Image Courtesy Tesla, Inc.
Where do you charge it and how long does it take?
The Semi will charge at 1 Megawatt chargers (V4), supported by Megapacks in some cases, (V3 chargers, for Tesla’s other vehicles are ~324 kW). Dan Priestley, Lead Semi Engineer, explained these V4 chargers will be coming to Tesla Superchargers next year. Cybertrucks will also be capable of charging at V4s. Charging time will be fast due to Tesla’s new V4 charging cable, created exclusively for Semi and Cybertruck.
Tesla’s new V4 Charging cable. Courtesy Tesla, Inc.
My take is V4 megachargers may be installed next year at Superchargers that are already located where diesel trucks fill up. Tesla has already built Superchargers at Buc-ee’s in over 26 stores in 7 states. I also estimate that charging will take around the same time it takes for a driver to take a break, eat, use the restroom, etc. (around 30 minutes).
Tesla Semi Test Run graphic, Courtesy Tesla, Inc. see Tesla Semi Delivery Event
Looking at the above graphic, notice how regenerative braking is almost able to nullify the presence of hills. The efficiency of the entire 500-mile run is almost the same as the efficiency over the flat part of the journey.
Regen braking will add to safety and eliminate crashes like the one that happened in the 2019 Lakewood semi truck crash near Denver and led to the horrifying death of 4 people (and 10 injuries). If you are not familiar, here’s the link to a video of a man who was near the runaway diesel semi when it happened.
Dan Priestley explained, “So any highway grade you come across, you can tackle at speed, there’s no compromise, and the other beauty is you’ve got all this power coming up but you also have it going down and what that means, is, you’ve got regenerative braking so, rather than using a jig brake or an engine brake like a diesel truck does, you don’t have to worry about hitting your shifts. If you miss a gear, you’re onto your brakes and a potential runaway situation. You don’t have to worry about any of that. There’s no shifting, no nothing, and so the regen recaptures all that energy as you’re going down these grades, but on top of it, it’s also a safer system for not just the driver, but also everybody on the road because there’s no gear to miss.”
Another safety asset exclusive to the Semi are a collection of three cameras on each rear view mirror. See a closeup photo by Brandonee916 of this below taken at the event.
Close up of a Tesla Semi rear view mirror. Three cameras mounted in various positions. Image Courtesy Brandonee916.
CONCLUSION
Elon Musk stated, “The mission of the company is to accelerate sustainable energy. So it’s (the Semi) super consistent with that goal and really a crucial piece of the puzzle, and that’s why we’re doing it.”
Building a Semi is crucial because although combination trucks account for only 1% of US vehicles sold, they account for 20% of US vehicle emissions, and an astonishing 36% of US vehicle particulate emissions.
The cost for the Semi in 2017 was $180,000 for the 500-mile range version. Tesla has not posted the cost for future orders and is not taking reservations on the website at this time for this high-demand tractor.
Semi will travel from 300 to 500 miles on a full charge and be capable of carrying the maximum load allowed by law, which is 82,000 pounds. Tesla built the Semi in an aerodynamic bullet shape in order to significantly decrease the drag coefficient. The Semi’s energy consumption is stunning at less than 2 kWh/mile.
Tesla Semi will charge at 1 Megawatt chargers (V4) which will come to Superchargers next year. My take is they will be built at locations like Buc-ee’s where trucks fill for diesel. In addition, the battery regains energy on declines through regenerative braking, and, in the words of Dan Priestley, “There’s no shifting, no nothing, and so the regen recaptures all that energy as you’re going down these grades.”
5 Takeaways from Tesla’s 2022 Shareholder Meeting: Step into Tesla’s Cyber Roundup event at Giga Texas! It was held in August, 2022 and features exclusive pictures. I was able to attend the event and report on it firsthand!
Guests at Tesla Semi Event were treated to a S 3 X Y vehicle lineup! Image Courtesy Teslavangelist.
Gail Alfar, author. Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – December 4, 2022. All Rights Reserved. My goal as an author is to support Tesla and Elon Musk in both making life better on earth for humans and becoming a space-fairing civilization. Thank you to Drive Tesla Canada for their reporting on V3 Supercharging and to Arash Malek for his insight on the Tesla Semi Delivery Event, you can view his video here.
Come along for 3.45 minutes to the Tesla Semi Event. Video Courtesy of Arash Malek, founder of Scentwedge.
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is .36 which is about half of a conventional diesel truck. The Semi’s energy consumption is stunning at 
whatsuptesla.com 