Elon Musk unveils first Tesla Semi truck

Tesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk has unveiled the company's first heavy-duty Semi truck at an event in the electric automaker's Nevada plant, making its first foray into the trucking industry.

Musk said at the event on Thursday that the company successfully completed over 800 kilometres of test of the Semi's driving range on November 15 between Fremont and San Diego.

The truck is a Class 8 vehicle, meaning it has a weight limit allowing it to transport more than 33,001 pounds of cargo.

It was initially meant to go into production in 2019 after being unveiled in 2017, but plans were delayed due to battery constraints.

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Regenerative braking

Tesla said its other vehicles would use the powertrain in the Semi and that the company will use the truck in its own supply chain to ship auto components.

Musk said that the Semi has three times the power of any diesel-powered truck, and is the first Tesla vehicle and is aimed at reducing the outsized emissions of the trucking sector relative to the size of the fleet.

Tesla also said that the Semi would use its regenerative braking to recapture kinetic energy to improve efficiency. 

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