The Tesla Semi is outperforming diesels.
“Tesla Semi is outperforming diesels.”
By leaps and bounds. It’s 1/6-1/10th the cost of diesel per mile and there is no oil changes, no brake pad wear, no DEF fluids to buy.
They consistently run full 82,000lb max loads over 300 miles using only 1.7kWh per mile.
The 500 mile range semi covers all but the extreme edge cases.
“The Tesla Semi Megacharger charges the Tesla Semi at a rate of 1.2 megawatts (1,200 kW), enabling the truck to replenish up to 60–70% of its battery range in just 30 minutes. This allows for roughly 300 miles of added range in half an hour, primarily using the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) standard”
Most states mandatory rest breaks are longer than this.
The vast majority of trucking by tonnage moved is regional and under 500 miles per day.
Breakdown of Truck Tonnage by Distance (2024–2025)
Recent data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) and the Department of Energy highlights a strong concentration of freight in short-distance brackets:
Under 100 miles: Approximately 44% of total truck tonnage.
100 to 249 miles: Approximately 43% of total truck tonnage.
Total Regional (Under 250 miles): Roughly 87% of all U.S. truck freight tonnage moves within this range.
Long-Haul (1,000+ miles): Only about 6.4% of total freight weight travels 1,000 miles or more