Tesla Semi European spec revealed: 550 km range, 40 tonnes and UK deliveries from 2027
Tesla has published the European specification of its electric lorry, with camera mirrors, new lights and a single Standard Range version. The central seat means no wait for right-hand drive, but there is still no price.
Quick answers
- Tesla says the European Semi covers up to 550 km (342 miles) at a 40-tonne gross combination weight, using about 1.0 kWh per kilometre.
- Europe gets one version, a Standard Range tractor with three motors producing up to 800 kW (about 1,087 bhp) and a kerb weight under 9,100 kg.
- Tesla quotes 60 per cent of range in about 30 minutes on a Megacharger; on the reported 548 kWh battery, EV Compared calculates that implies an average of about 658 kW.
- Customer deliveries in Europe are scheduled for 2027, and because the driver sits in the middle of the cab, the UK should not need a separate right-hand-drive build.
- Tesla plans more than 100 Megacharger stalls at 21 stations across seven countries including the UK, but has not named any UK sites or dates.
- Tesla has not published a European or UK price; the current UK Plug-in Truck Grant for vehicles over 26 tonnes is the lower of £81,000 or 40 per cent of the price, for approved models.
Tesla has revealed the European Tesla Semi: a single Standard Range tractor unit rated for up to 550 km (342 miles) at 40 tonnes, with customer deliveries from 2027. The UK is in line for the same launch, because the central driving seat means no right-hand-drive conversion is needed, but Tesla still has not given a price.
Tesla Europe published the figures on 11 September 2026 and showed production-intent trucks at IAA Transportation in Hannover the following week. Seven weeks on, there is still no European price list, so here is what we know and what UK operators are still waiting for.
What are the European Tesla Semi specs?
The European truck is a direct port of the US Standard Range Semi, not the 822 kWh Long Range version. Tesla’s figures are estimates, and electrive reports the 550 km range assumes 80 km/h, 20 degrees, a flat road and an aerodynamic kit.
| Tesla Semi (Europe) | Tesla Semi Standard Range (US) | Tesla Semi Long Range (US) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Range | 550 km (342 miles) | about 325 miles | 500 miles |
| Battery | 548 kWh (reported) | not published | 822 kWh |
| Consumption | 1.0 kWh/km | not published | 1.7 kWh/mile |
| Gross combination weight | 40 tonnes | 37.2 tonnes (82,000 lb) | 37.2 tonnes (82,000 lb) |
| Kerb weight | under 9,100 kg | under 20,000 lb | about 23,000 lb |
| Drive power | up to 800 kW, three motors | not published | not published |
| Fast charge claim | 60% in about 30 minutes | 70% in about 30 minutes | 70% in about 30 minutes |
The European truck also gets an electric power take-off of up to 25 kW for refrigerated trailers, a 6x4 layout with two driven rear axles and a 1,000 volt electrical system. Electrive estimates a payload of 24.6 to 26.6 tonnes with a typical trailer; that is its calculation, not Tesla’s.
What is different from the American Semi?
Most changes are about meeting European truck rules rather than performance:
- Camera mirrors. Pods on each side of the cab feed screens inside, replacing glass mirrors.
- New lights. The full-width front lightbar is gone, replaced by separate headlights styled like the entry Model Y.
- Roof and markers. The upper roof is reshaped to suit European trailer heights, and marker lights move to the roofline.
- Escape ladder. An interior ladder lets the driver climb out through the roof hatch if the truck ends up on its side.
- Same cab size. The cab keeps the US length and width, using Europe’s length allowance for aerodynamic cabs.
The truck has 10 exterior cameras, and Tesla says a version of its driver assistance software is in development for the Semi. Tesla sells that software for cars in Europe as “Full Self-Driving (Supervised)”, and it is not approved for hands-off use in the UK, as our Autopilot vs FSD guide explains.
Is the Tesla Semi coming to the UK?
Yes. Tesla says European customer deliveries are scheduled to start in 2027, and Carwow reports the UK should get the truck at the same time as continental Europe. The driver sits in the middle of the cab between two touchscreens, so there is no left or right-hand-drive version to engineer. Compare that with the Cybertruck, which looks unlikely to reach the UK at all.
The first trucks will come from Tesla’s new Semi factory in Nevada, with assembly expected to move to Gigafactory Berlin over time.
How fast does it charge?
Tesla’s headline claim is 60 per cent of range in about 30 minutes on a Megacharger. Reports differ on the peak: some list 800 kW for the European truck, while Auto Express quotes up to 1,200 kW, the US rating.
Our number: the European Semi needs to average about 658 kW to meet Tesla’s claim. Method: 60% of the reported 548 kWh battery is 329 kWh, delivered in 0.5 hours, so 329 ÷ 0.5 = 658 kW. That is well above UK truck sites today; Electroway’s new Magna Park hub tops out at 400 kW.
Tesla plans more than 100 Megacharger stalls at 21 stations across Germany, France, the UK, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, but has not named UK sites or dates. InsideEVs reports fleets can buy a Megacharger cabinet with two stalls for 163,000 euros, or a 120 kW Basecharger for 17,000 euros, with deliveries from mid-2027. Until then, a CCS2 to MCS adapter lets the Semi use existing 350 kW car chargers.
What would it cost to run?
At 1.0 kWh/km the sums are simple. Using EV Compared’s benchmark rates, 100 km costs £26.32 at the 26.32p/kWh price cap rate (100 kWh x 26.32p) and £79 at the 79p/kWh public rapid average (100 kWh x 79p). A full 550 km run costs about £145 at the cap rate and £435 at public rapid prices. Hauliers on commercial depot contracts pay their own negotiated rates, so treat these as benchmarks, not quotes.
On the purchase side, the gov.uk Plug-in Truck Grant for vehicles over 26 tonnes currently covers the lower of £81,000 or 40 per cent of the price in England, Scotland and Wales. It applies only to models on the government’s approved list, so the Semi would need to be added before UK buyers could claim it.
Why it matters for UK freight
Electric lorries are struggling to take off. SMMT figures show zero-emission HGV registrations fell 50.7 per cent in the third quarter of 2026 to just 1.1 per cent of the market, while 4,453 tractor units were registered (see our electric HGV analysis). Rivals already on sale claim more range, with electrive citing up to 700 km for the Volvo FH Aero Electric and 660 km for the Renault Trucks E-Tech T. Tesla’s pitch is efficiency, low weight and its own charging network; whether that wins over UK hauliers depends on the price it has yet to announce.
For Tesla’s car business, see our Q3 2026 results explainer.
How we test and where our numbers come from
Range figures are official WLTP combined values taken from manufacturer UK specification pages, with real-world estimates drawn from independent comparative testing. Prices are UK list prices at the time of the latest update. Tax, grant and charging-scheme figures come from GOV.UK and HMRC publications. We re-check every guide when pricing, specification or policy changes. Last checked 1 November 2026. How we work out our own figures.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Tesla Semi coming to the UK?
Yes, the Tesla Semi is expected in the UK alongside the rest of Europe, with customer deliveries scheduled from 2027. Tesla lists the UK among the countries getting its first European Megachargers, though it has not given a UK on-sale date.
What range does the European Tesla Semi have?
Tesla quotes up to 550 km, or about 342 miles, for the European Semi at a full 40-tonne gross combination weight. That estimate assumes 80 km/h, 20 degrees, a flat road and an aerodynamic kit, so winter and hilly routes will cut it.
How much does the Tesla Semi cost in the UK?
Tesla has not announced a UK or European price for the Semi as of 1 November 2026. It has also not given a European on-sale date beyond deliveries starting in 2027.
Will the Tesla Semi be right-hand drive in the UK?
The Tesla Semi does not need a right-hand-drive version, because the driver sits in a central seat flanked by two touchscreens. That avoids the re-engineering that usually delays UK versions of left-hand-drive vehicles.
How fast does the Tesla Semi charge in Europe?
Tesla says a Megacharger adds about 60 per cent of range in 30 minutes. Reports differ on whether the European truck is limited to 800 kW or can use the 1.2 MW the US truck is rated for, and Tesla also offers a 120 kW Basecharger for overnight depot charging.
Can the Tesla Semi use normal EV rapid chargers?
Yes, with an adapter. Tesla has developed a CCS2 to MCS adapter so the Semi can charge at existing 350 kW CCS2 chargers until Megachargers are built.
Sources and further reading
- electrek.coTesla reveals European Semi specs: 550 km range, 800 kW chargingTesla Europe's figures from 11 September 2026: 550 km at 40 tonnes, 1 kWh/km, 60% in 30 minutes, 25 kW ePTO, 9,100 kg kerb weight; US Long Range 500 miles on 822 kWh, US 82,000 lb rating and 70% in 30 minutes; no European price.
- electrive.comTesla Semi for Europe offers decent range and excellent payloadRange test conditions (80 km/h, 20 degrees, flat road, Aero Kit), 800 kW from three motors, 6x4 layout, 120 kW Basecharger, US Standard Range about 325 miles, payload estimate of 24.6 to 26.6 tonnes, rival ranges from Volvo and Renault Trucks, 2027 deliveries.
- notateslaapp.comTesla's European Semi: photos, videos, and what's differentCamera mirrors, Model Y style headlights replacing the lightbar, reshaped roof, escape ladder, 10 cameras, CCS2 to MCS adapter, Nevada build moving to Berlin over time, and FSD in development for the Semi.
- autoexpress.co.ukTesla Semi electric HGV on route to the UK with 1,100bhp and 342-mile range548 kWh battery, 800 kW (1,087 bhp), 1,000 volt architecture, charging up to 1,200 kW, central seat limiting right-hand-drive changes, and Tesla's statement that European deliveries launch in 2027.
- carwow.co.ukTesla's Semi truck is coming to Europe soonThe UK should get the Semi at the same time as continental Europe, with no wait for a right-hand-drive build.
- insideevs.comTesla's European Megacharger rollout starts with over 100 megawatt-capable chargersMore than 100 Megachargers at 21 stations in seven countries including the UK; Megacharger bundle at 163,000 euros and Basecharger at 17,000 euros; charger deliveries from mid-2027.
- gov.ukPlug-in vehicle grants: trucksCurrent grant for trucks over 26 tonnes: the lower of £81,000 or 40% of the upfront cost in England, Scotland and Wales.
- smmt.co.ukHGV market grows for first time in two yearsQ3 2026: 9,941 new HGVs registered, zero-emission registrations down 50.7% to 1.1% of the market, 4,453 tractor units.
EV Compared
The EV Compared editorial team tracks the UK electric vehicle market full time: new model launches, list prices, WLTP and real-world range, public charging tariffs and the tax rules that decide what an EV actually costs to run. Every guide is checked against manufacturer specifications and official GOV.UK figures, and updated whenever the numbers move.
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