Core Memory got the exclusive first look inside Tesla's Semi factory at Gigafactory Nevada in Sparks, in early March 2026. The factory is still weeks away from full production, but the equipment is in, the line is running, and what is inside is worth seeing.
The factory broke ground just under two years ago. The first six months went into putting up steel and walls. The next six months were spent getting the interior ready and running utilities. Then came the equipment. The final phase, which is where things stand now, is turning that equipment on and ramping toward mass production.
The overhead conveyance system is the centrepiece of the assembly floor. Frames start as bare structures and are lifted onto carriers that grow heavier as components are added at each station. By the end, a fully assembled semi on a carrier weighs more than 10,000 lb. The carriers adjust their height at each station so operators are always working at the right level, whether they are attaching the pneumatics module, the battery packs, the drive axle, or the steer axle. The system is among the largest of its type in the world.
The battery installation step is called battery marriage. The Tesla Semi uses three battery packs in parallel, all essentially the same unit, using the same cell as the Cybertruck. Unlike the flat, pancake-style packs in Tesla's cars, these are more cube-shaped, fitting more energy into a compact space nestled within the frame. The packs are torqued down to precise specifications using purpose-built tools. This will be an automated process as the line reaches full speed.
The cab goes through a separate line that runs above the main floor, then comes down for coating for both corrosion protection and finish before joining general assembly. Next door, connected to the Semi factory, is the main Gigafactory Nevada where Tesla produces its vehicle battery packs. The two facilities share engineers, parts, and stamping operations.
At the end of general assembly sits a light tunnel, a final inspection station where each truck gets its first full check. The tunnel is large enough to hold the assembled semi and is lit to make defects visible. It is also, by any reasonable measure, extremely cool.
The Tesla Semi comes in two versions. Standard range covers 325 miles on a full charge. Long range covers 500 miles. Tesla is also building a dedicated Megawatt Charging System network specifically for its trucks, separate from the Supercharger network used by passenger vehicles.
A Tesla employee with a commercial driver's licence describes what it is actually like to drive one: effortless torque from the first metre, a quiet cabin that is noticeably calmer than diesel trucks, and regenerative braking that removes the anxiety from descending steep grades entirely. No worrying about engine brakes, missed downshifts, or runaway truck ramps. With 40,000 lb of payload behind the truck, it just handles it.
Tesla first mentioned Semi ambitions in Elon Musk's 2016 master plan. A prototype was revealed in 2017 with a promised production start of 2019. A small number of vehicles went to select customers in 2022. The final production design is only now reaching the manufacturing stage at scale.