Tesla Semi electric truck spotted with self-driving validation tech

Tesla’s Semi electric truck, which has recently gone into high-volume commercial production, has now been spotted undertaking what appears to be full self-driving (FSD) tech validation, according to recent photos.

Images of a Tesla Semi shared by Danny W on X show a Semi with additional beams and a sensor suite attached to it, driving on public roads in California.

Multiple photos of this semi were shared with the caption: “I spotted this plus two different cybercabs within 5 mins of driving in Sunnyvale CA 😂 living in the future”.

This was further clarified by observers of the Tesla FSD tech as likely to be equipment used for vehicle system validation, with one saying: “It looks like autonomous driving test equipment”.

According to Danny, the Semi was not attached to a trailer when it was spotted, highlighlting that it was likely used by Tesla employees for testing around the design centre the company has in the state.

Previously, Tesla has used similar equipment on various other passenger vehicle models while those cars and software has been under development, mainly for validation purposes.

More recently, Tesla’s Cybercab has been spotted with these as well before they are launched into a state-based market in parts of the US.

Tesla’s Semi program has been running for almost a decade with the most recent iteration’s design having been finalised in late 2025.

As part of that update, the company emphasised the role of FSD tech in its Semi fleet with the truck coming equiped with hardware necessary for future self-driving deliveries.

Earliet this month, Tesla appeared to be expanding its Semi sales business to international markets like Europe.

As part of this expansion, Tesla is hiring for roles in Europe to help build a customer base for its physically biggest product.

On specs, the Semi’s variant comes in two variants. There is a Standard Range variant with a 548 kWh battery pack and delivering over 500 km of range.

There is also a larger Long Range variant comes in at 822 kWh and delivers up to over 800 km of range with a 37-tonne load on board.

Both variants use Tesla’s 4680 cells with NMCA chemistry, which can be charged at up to 1.2 MW with Tesla’s Megachargers, designed specifically for the Tesla Semi.

Tesla is expected to produce these at the company’s recently opened Nevada Gigafactory. It can produce up to 50,000 semi-trucks per year.

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