The Tesla Semi has earned favorable reviews from experienced truck drivers after being put through real-world testing. This was highlighted in a Run on Less by NACFE video, which documented Saia freight drivers operating the Class 8 all-electric big rig across standard routes.

The real-world tests offered a closer look at how the Tesla Semi performs outside of the electric vehicle maker’s own demos.

Veteran drivers highlight Semi’s usability

Tom Sterba, a senior driver with Saia, praised the Semi’s technology as a major step forward for the industry. “The navigation systems in these trucks are just unbelievable. That’s what I love about it,” he said.

In a moment that has since been widely shared, Sterba added, “I do not want to go back to a gas truck. I hope I retire in this vehicle.”

Another senior driver, Michael Davis, stated that he volunteered immediately when the Tesla Semi became available. He noted that the truck has not disappointed him, especially since it is a very powerful vehicle.

“I wanted to drive something new, so I wanted to drive that Tesla truck, and it did not disappoint at all. I experienced no problems with the powertrain. It’s total power,” Davis said.

Tesla Semi momentum is building

Tesla’s push with the Semi comes as the company pushes to complete its dedicated factory for the vehicle near Giga Nevada. Tesla expects to start producing the first Semi units from its dedicated Nevada factory this year, with a production ramp up being expected sometime next year.

Tesla expects to produce 50,000 units of the Semi per year from its Nevada facility, which should make it one of the country’s high-volume semi truck factories, The Cool Down reported. The potential benefits for the Tesla Semi are significant. Beyond lowering emissions, the Semi can also reduce the maintenance costs for operators, while also delivering operational savings over time.

Check out Run on Less’ video on the Tesla Semi in the video below.

SpaceX aced its tenth Starship test flight on Tuesday night after multiple delays pushed the mission back to this evening. Originally scheduled for Sunday night, SpaceX had two delays push the flight back to Tuesday, which ultimately provided ideal conditions for a launch attempt.

The tenth test flight of Starship had several objectives, including a successful splashdown of the booster in the Gulf of America, the deployment of eight Starlink simulation modules from the PEZ dispenser, and a splashdown of the ship in the Indian Ocean.

SpaceX Starship Flight 10: What to expect

SpaceX successfully achieved all three of these objectives, making it one of the most successful test flights in the Starship program. There was no attempt to catch the booster this evening, as the company had been transparent about it ahead of the launch.

The mission began at 6:30 p.m. local time in Starbase, Texas, when the launch of Starship initiated. After about eight minutes, stage separation was completed, and the Super Heavy Booster headed back down to Earth for a planned splashdown in the Indian Ocean:

Super Heavy has splashed down in the Gulf pic.twitter.com/LGozUAmLt8

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 26, 2025

Starship was then the main focus of the rest of the broadcast as it completed its ascent burn and coasted through space, providing viewers with spectacular views as the mission headed toward new territory, including the deployment of Starlink simulators. This would be the first time SpaceX would attempt a payload deployment.

The deployment works like a PEZ dispenser, as the simulators were stacked on top of one another and would exit through a small slit one at a time.

This occurred roughly 20 minutes into the mission:

Open the pod bay door, HAL

Starship deploying @Starlink simulator sats pic.twitter.com/3CSOyulzcJ

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 26, 2025

An hour and six minutes into the flight, Starship reached its final destination, which was the Indian Ocean. A successful splashdown would bring closure to Starship’s tenth test flight, marking the fifth time a test flight in the program’s history did not end with vehicle loss.

It was also the first of four test flights this year that will end with Starship being recovered.

Splashdown confirmed! Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on an exciting tenth flight test of Starship! pic.twitter.com/5sbSPBRJBP

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 27, 2025

SpaceX is expected to launch Starship again in approximately eight weeks, pending the collection of data and other key metrics from this flight.

SpaceX is set to launch Starship tonight, provided the weather cooperates and everything with the ship goes smoothly.

This is SpaceX’s third attempt to launch Starship for its tenth test flight, with Sunday’s and Monday’s attempts both being scrapped due to a leak and unfavorable weather conditions on the respective days.

This evening, SpaceX has already stated that conditions appear to be approximately 45 percent favorable for launch. This is ten percent less than last night, when the mission was eventually scrapped around 7 p.m. local time.

SpaceX Starship Flight 10: What to expect

Propellant load of the upper stage and Super Heavy booster is already underway, and the launch is expected to occur at 6:30 p.m. in Starbase, Texas.

You can watch the tenth test flight of Starship below via SpaceX:

Watch Starship’s tenth flight test → https://t.co/UIwbeGoo2B https://t.co/BFrpQPQFUw

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 26, 2025