First revealed in 2017, the electric heavy goods vehicle (eHGV) came with such demanding specifications at the time that Bill Gates himself doubted back in 2020 that they were even feasible.

When it finally hits the market, the Semi will be the model with the longest development and validation time in Tesla’s range, after Musk missed his original 2019 launch date.

But recently, Tesla has been offering a glimpse into its Nevada factory, indicating confidence that it can move from field testing into what it calls “first truck builds” by the end of this year.

“We’d love to get our hands on a Tesla Semi, and really test it,” Daimler Truck finance chief Eva Scherer told reporters on Wednesday. “We haven’t been able to, it cannot be ordered yet.”

No first-mover advantage this time for Tesla

Tesla has enjoyed a first-mover advantage in the EV space for most of its existence.

But legacy truck companies, particularly in Europe, have already been quietly selling EVs for several years now. 

Daimler isn’t the only manufacturer with a headstart on Tesla, either. Swedish rival Volvo Trucks said last month that it has already sold over 5,000 zero-emission electric vehicles. 

But Tesla aims to surpass these volumes, with a Nevada factory designed to manufacture a peak output of 50,000 Semis annually. Depending on whether customers order a standard or long-range version, these vehicles will be capable of driving between 300 and 500 miles, or roughly 500 to 800 kilometers.

While Musk plans to use the first Semis built internally before rolling them out to North American customers, project lead Dan Priestley has said a European launch will follow soon thereafter.

Due to recent regulatory changes, the Semi will be street legal in Europe and compatible with local trailers, where it will compete with the Mercedes eActros 600 for demand.

So, once the Semi launches next year, expect Daimler to stress-test Tesla’s claims, such as a 1,700-kilometer drive completed in 24 hours.

“We keep hearing that it’s supposed to be next year,” Scherer said. “And yes, once it’s there, we’re interested to have a look.”

Mercedes-Benz wins Amazon’s largest order ever for electric trucks

Notably, her company—the largest manufacturer of HGVs in the world with brands like Freightliner—had cast considerable doubt on Musk’s ambitious plans just last year.

Daimler Truck is also waiting with a competitor of its own.

In September, the group won the International Truck of the Year award with its Mercedes-Benz eActros 600, the German brand’s first model designed specifically for long-distance hauling, with a range of 500 kilometers (311 miles).

Early this year, Daimler Truck followed that up with the largest order for EV trucks Amazon has ever placed, with a commitment to purchase more than 200 units of the eActros 600 (the number designates its battery capacity in kilowatt-hours) over the course of this year. 

Musk argues it’s ‘economic suicide’ to prefer diesel over electric

Since diesels have long been considered the most economical option for long-haul freight transport, eHGVs have mainly earned a spot in last-mile transport.

In that segment, the expensive batteries can be smaller but still sufficient in size to last the full day before recharging at the end, once they return to the depot.

When Musk took the stage in 2017, he claimed the Semi would be so good at long-haul transport that it would be “economic suicide” for logistics firms to choose anything else. Even in what Musk claimed was a worst-case scenario, a diesel truck would still be 20% more expensive to operate per mile than his Semi. 

“This beats rail,” the entrepreneur said, should they operate in convoy.