Tesla’s Semi Program Lead, Dan Priestley, took the stage at the IAA Transportation Exhibit in Hannover, Germany, today to speak about Tesla’s Semi and its place in the European market.
The IAA Transportation exhibit features lots of discussions on the European commercial vehicle industry. Tesla was one of the exhibitors on the main stage, focusing specifically on the Tesla Semi.
It was a short keynote — only 15 minutes long (video below) — but there was a lot of information packed into those 15 minutes, so let’s review it.
Tesla Semi Coming to Europe with Improvements
Dan Priestley confirmed that the Tesla Semi will be coming to Europe as Tesla begins to scale production. Tesla has already reached out to customers and is planning applications that diesel addresses today—at a lower and safer operating cost.
One of the big keys here is that the Tesla Semi has been approved for use on European roads – the required changes to make it road-legal in the EU have been made and fitted to the cab. The vast majority of these changes were fairly minor but were still needed.
However, Tesla doesn’t intend to enter the European market immediately – they intend to address the American trucking market first, and then enter the European market shortly thereafter. We recently reported that Tesla posted a new job listing for bringing the Semi to Europe.
New Independent Front Suspension
As part of the changes for the European version of the Semi – which Tesla is calling the European Development Platform – Tesla has implemented an independent front suspension. Because of the new independent front suspension, Tesla has also had the opportunity to increase the regen for the vehicle.
And it’s not just a drivetrain item—it turns out that the many improvements to the Semi have also included a new metal frame to hold the body together, which also provides enough space for a sleeper cab version. A sleeper cab for the Semi has been one of the big items holding it back from long-range trucking, and this improvement is a huge step forward on that front. The larger Semi will also include large storage compartments underneath.
Charging and Efficiency
Tesla has also focused on improving vehicle efficiency and charge curves—and they’ve done just that. Tesla’s pilot test fleet has logged 7.5 million kilometers—4.65 million miles —and these distances have seen Tesla continuously honing the Semi’s software and hardware.
One of the Semis has 400,000 km—or 248,000 mi—on its dash already in 1.5 years, and it has been hauling at a constant full gross vehicle weight rating. That means this particular Semi has been hauling its maximum weight rating everywhere—which is about 80,000 pounds.
And Tesla has more to show – with more plans for vehicle efficiency increases around the corner. They also intend to adjust the way that their customers will charge the Semi – no dedicated charging time will be required.
Instead, the Tesla Semi will charge while loading and unloading and during mandatory driver break times. On average, it takes approximately 2 to 3 hours to load or unload a semi-truck, which provides plenty of time to charge on Tesla’s Megawatt Charging System (MCS).
Video
Below is the full discussion of Dan Priestley talking about the Tesla Semi at the exhibit in Germany.
Here is today's full presentation from @Tesla's head of Semi engineering, Dan Priestley, and a PepsiCo representative, where they talk about PepsiCo’s Tesla Semi case study. pic.twitter.com/kvro9hk5OY
Tesla intends to expand the current Semi program in the United States. For now, it's been limited to PepsiCo and its subsidiaries, including Frito-Lay. We’ve seen Pepsi and Frito-Lay trucks on the highways in California and other states, but Tesla intends to begin deliveries to other customers toward the end of this year.
We’re super excited to see what’s next for the Semi—it’ll be a real game changer for transportation in North America and Europe and a big step towards reducing carbon emissions.
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In a new video posted to X, Tesla is showing the progress of its first Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) cell manufacturing factory in North America. The facility, located in Sparks, Nevada, will be used to produce LFP battery cells for Megapacks and Powerwall.
However, the implications of this new factory extend beyond Tesla Energy. By on-shoring the production of these cost-effective batteries, Tesla is not only securing its energy supply chain but also opening the door to potentially reintroducing LFP-based vehicles in North America.
Nearing completion of our first LFP cell manufacturing factory in North America pic.twitter.com/OLNRWajz4l
The immediate beneficiary of the new Nevada LFP facility is Tesla’s Energy division. LFP chemistry is ideal for stationary storage products like Megapack and Powerwall. It offers a very long life cycle, is extremely thermally stable and safe, and is significantly cheaper to produce than nickel-based batteries, partly because it contains no cobalt.
Until now, Tesla has relied on suppliers like CATL in China for these cells. A dedicated, domestic supply will enable Tesla to dramatically ramp up Megapack production to meet North America’s increasing demand for grid-scale energy. On the other hand, Megafactory Shanghai continues to utilize CATL’s LFP batteries and will support the rest of the world.
Tesla first revealed that they were planning to onshore LFP production in North America at the Q1 2025 Earnings Call, which will help them avoid costs, innovate in new technology, and insulate themselves from geopolitical supply chain risks.
A Potential Return for LFP Vehicles?
Another exciting application for Tesla is what this new factory means for Tesla’s budget-oriented lineup. For years, Tesla has been constrained in its ability to offer LFP-based vehicles in North America. While LFP packs are used in other markets for specific standard-range RWD vehicles, tariffs on important Chinese cells made it difficult to import these cells for use in North America.
With a domestic supply of LFP cells produced in Nevada, this tariff-related barrier will be mostly eliminated, pending the sourcing of lithium from a North American site. This is likely to lead to the reintroduction of LFP-based vehicles to the North American market, possibly in late 2026 or 2027.
An American-made LFP pack could lead to a more affordable base Model 3 or Model Y, or potentially help Tesla cut costs on the next-generation Affordable Model even further. This helps to give customers a lower-cost entry point without sacrificing a lot of range, and with the added benefit of being able to regularly charge to 100%.
Mega Nevada
With Mega Nevada now progressing well, Tesla is in an excellent position to continue iterating on its vertical integration and scaling Megapack and Powerwall—two of Tesla’s fastest-growing businesses—further. There are tons of benefits for consumers in the future as Tesla continues down this path, with more affordable Powerwalls for the home, cheaper electricity prices thanks to grid-forming Megapacks, and cheaper LFP vehicles.
The next major upgrade for Tesla’s in-car experience is pretty much already here - just hiding beneath the surface, awaiting the flick of a switch. According to new details uncovered by Tesla hacker Greentheonly, a fully functional version of the Grok conversational AI assistant is already present in recent firmware builds, just waiting for Tesla to activate it.
The feature, which is currently behind a server-side switch, could be enabled at any time by Tesla for vehicles running update 2025.20 and newer. The findings provide a better picture of what we already learned from Green’s breakdown on Grok last month.
Grok’s Requirements
@greentheonly on X
According to what Green determined from the latest software builds, the foundation for Grok was laid with update 2025.14, with more abilities and functionality added in 2025.20 to flesh it out. He also determined exactly which vehicles will be receiving Grok.
In terms of hardware, any vehicle with a Ryzen-based infotainment computer will receive Grok. This means that vehicles with the older Intel Atom processor will not be supported, at least initially. The underlying Autopilot hardware is not a factor, as Grok’s processing is not done in-vehicle.
Grok will also require premium connectivity or a Wi-Fi connection for the vehicle. At this point, we’re not sure whether Grok in your Tesla will also require you to sign up for SuperGrok, X Premium, or X Premium+, but Tesla is requiring you to sign into your Grok account. It’s just not clear whether the free version of Grok will work, or if you’ll need the premium version.
Grok User Experience
@greentheonly on X
Green also revealed the user interface for Grok for the first time. You’ll find many of the same features from the Grok app, but surprisingly, it looks like it’ll have a dark UI, even if you’re using light mode in your vehicle.
It appears that there will be a Grok app, likely for settings. However, Grok will largely operate in a modal, similar to voice commands, which are displayed near the bottom left corner of the screen.
There’s an on-screen microphone button, as well as drop-down menus for the voice and type of assistant you’d like to use.
Similar to the Grok app currently on mobile devices, you’ll be able to select from a set of voices and then define their personality. The available voices for now are the standard Ara (Upbeat Female), Rex (Calm Male), and Gork (Lazy Male).
There’s also a settings button, which, when expanded, allows you to enable or disable NSFW mode (including swearing and adult topics), as well as a Kids Mode, which will tone Grok down to be suitable for when kids are in the car.
@greentheonly on X
How Grok Will Work (Button / Wake Word)
Users will be able to activate Grok by pressing a button, likely the same one that activates voice commands today. Grok will then remain enabled for the duration of your conversation, allowing you to go back and forth, asking and answering questions. To end your conversation, you’ll press the mic button again.
While it doesn’t appear to use a wake word yet, Green says that some code refers to a wake word, so it’s possible that this could be an option Tesla plans to activate in the future.
Replacing Voice Commands
The most significant implication of Grok’s future integration is in its potential to fully replace the existing and relatively rigid voice command system. Green notes that internally, this feature is part of the car assist module, and that eventually, the plan is for Grok to take over car control functions.
Unlike the current system, which requires specific phrases, a true conversational AI like Grok can understand natural language. This will enable more intuitive requests, completely changing how drivers interact with their car.
Language Support
@Greentheonly/X
Grok will also launch with multi-language support, similar to its current abilities in the Grok app. Green says that it already appears to have support for English and Chinese and one or two other languages.
Release Date
Grok appears ready to go from a vehicle standpoint, but Green wasn’t able to actually test it out. While development appears to be nearly complete in the vehicle, Tesla and xAI may still be working on some server-side changes to better integrate with the vehicle. If they plan for Grok to replace voice commands on day one, then it’ll need to be trained and be able to execute a variety of vehicle commands.
It’s possible Tesla is actively testing Grok or adding server-side changes to replace voice commands. However, it looks like vehicle development is nearly complete and Grok could launch as soon as the next major Tesla update, which is expected to be update 2025.24.
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