Jay Leno Says The Tesla Semi’s Biggest Advantage Isn’t Its Range

Even though it can drive 500 miles on one charge, it’s the lower running costs that Jay believes will make this electric truck popular.

Tesla Semi jay leno

Photo by: Jay Leno's Garage via YouTube

Andrei Nedelea

By: Andrei Nedelea

Mar 23, at 1:53pm ET

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Jay Leno got behind the wheel of the finished production-spec Tesla Semi for a recent video.
He noted that the central driving position feels more normal than you'd expect and praised its performance.
He thinks lower running costs will help the Semi sell.

The Tesla Semi is finally finished. Jay Leno got a good look around the production truck with the lead of the Semi project, Dan Priestly, and Tesla’s head of design, Franz von Holzhausen, before getting behind the wheel for a recent video.

This isn’t the first time Jay has driven the Semi on his Jay Leno's Garage YouTube show, but the version he drove in October 2023 was a pre-production example. There have been numerous changes since.

Even though it might be a few years late, the Semi is here now, and Tesla plans to ramp up production through 2027. It’s been updated and now boasts up to 500 miles of range, 1.2 megawatt charging, and lots of upsides over a diesel equivalent. It can regain 60% of its range in just 30 minutes of fast-charging and average 1.7 kWh/mile while hauling a load.

Dan Priestly argues that switching from a diesel truck to a Semi makes financial sense, citing its efficiency. However, what will ultimately convince companies to add Semis to their fleets will be pricing, which Tesla hasn’t officially announced but is expected to start at around $290,000 for the long-range variant, according to Electrek. That’s significantly more than when it was announced in 2017.

It has three motors that power the dual rear axle, producing a peak power output of over 1,000 horsepower regardless of battery pack size. There’s also a standard-range model quoted at 325 miles whose smaller battery pack makes it over 3,000 lbs lighter than the long-range model, which should make it feel even quicker.

Jay asked about the central driving position and the shape of the cab. It was designed this way for aerodynamics, the Tesla executives explained: placing the driver in the middle allowed Tesla to make the cab narrower at the top, giving the truck a drag coefficient of 0.4. The Tesla representatives also pointed out that this layout allowed Tesla to reimagine the cab's interior, making it feel more airy and even allowing the driver to stand up inside.

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You might think the central driving position would define the experience and make driving the Semi feel weird, but Jay says it feels pretty normal. It’s also very easy to drive, according to Jay, thanks to the seamless (and plentiful) power delivery and the absence of gear shifting.

Jay’s biggest takeaway from trying the Semi is not how quiet or powerful it is, even though these are two clear advantages it holds over conventional diesel trucks. It’s that if it really does cost less per mile, then it makes a lot of sense to switch to an electric truck like the Semi, especially considering the oil supply uncertainty the world is facing today and its dramatic effect on global fuel prices.