Tesla Semi to finally go on sale

Tesla has confirmed its upcoming Tesla Semi will finally go on sale in 2022 after a three-year delay.

First unveiled back in 2017, the all-electric big rig was originally intended to make its sales debut in 2019.

But now, according to company boss Elon Musk, first deliveries of the 2022 Tesla Semi will begin as soon as the fourth quarter of this year.

He also confirmed the long-awaited Tesla Cybertruck would finally land in 2023.

The Semi, which was not expected to reach the market before the Cybertruck, will have a range of up to 500 miles (805km), according to Musk.

But there is no word yet on what batteries the Tesla Semi will use, whether the original pricing still stands, or how many trucks the US electric car brand will produce.

Already spotted testing multiple times, it’s believed the Semi will be assembled at the Tesla Gigafactory 1 in Nevada.

Back in 2017, Tesla said the Semi would be available in 300-mile (480km) and 500-mile (805km) variants, and that the truck could accelerate from 0-100km/h with a 36-tonne load in 20 seconds.

At the time, the company said drive would come from four independent electric motors on the rear axles and that the truck would be capable of tackling a five per cent gradient climb at 100km/h.

It also said a base price of around $US150,000 ($A211,000) was expected for the 300-mile version, rising to $US180,000 ($A250,000) for the 500-mile version.

Through the savings to be gained via electric propulsion over traditional diesel, Tesla initially said the Semi would have a payback period of around two years, although the current huge leap in fuel prices (even in the US) are thought to have drastically reduced that time.

It’s still to be confirmed whether right-hand drive markets are part of the plan for Tesla's expansion into trucks, but it would make sense to help cover the huge cost of its development.