Tesla’s all-electric Semi is proving more than just a flashy concept as it is winning converts among the professionals who know trucks best.

As fleets roll out Pilot Programs for Tesla across North America, drivers are raving about the Class 8 electric truck’s unique features, including a centered driver’s seat, massive touchscreen visibility, instant torque, and absence of gear-shifting fatigue.

These features are transforming long days behind the wheel into noticeably easier, less stressful shifts.

Tesla Semi pricing revealed after company uncovers trim levels

In a recent Wall Street Journal profile of early pilots, Dakota Shearer of IMC Logistics described backing out of a tight spot he had mistakenly entered:

“I backed right out of there, no problem. It’s like I’d never done it in the first place. That right there showed me that the technology the Tesla has makes a big difference.”
His colleague Angel Rodriguez of Hight Logistics, who switched from a 13-speed diesel, agreed:

“It’s just easier on your body. It’s less stressful because you’re not really having to engage the clutch and the stick shift.”
Veteran drivers in other tests echo the same enthusiasm. Tom Sterba, a Senior Driver at Saia, spent days testing the Semi and came away impressed with the navigation and overall feel:

“The navigation systems in these trucks are just unbelievable. That’s what I love about it.”
Sterba summed up the experience with a line that has since gone viral among trucking circles:

“I hope I retire in this truck.”
Pilot programs with ArcBest, thyssenkrupp Supply Chain Services, and Mone Transport delivered similar feedback. Drivers consistently praised the center-seat layout for eliminating blind spots, the smooth acceleration, and the overall comfort and safety.

Real-world data backed the hype, as ArcBest logged thousands of miles at efficient consumption rates, even over the challenging routes, like Donner Pass, while other fleets beat Tesla’s own efficiency targets.

The consensus among participants is clear: the Semi feels quieter, quicker, and far less physically demanding than diesel rigs while delivering three times the power and dramatically lower operating costs.

The latest chapter in the Semi’s story arrived just days ago on Jay Leno’s Garage, as Leno became the first outsider to drive the updated long-range production model, joined by Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen, and Semi Program Director Dan Priestley.

Tesla reveals various improvements to the Semi in new piece with Jay Leno

The episode revealed major upgrades heading to volume production this year: the truck sheds roughly 1,000 pounds, adopts a 48-volt architecture, switches to fully electric steering with Cybertruck-derived actuators, and uses 4680 battery cells engineered for an over-one-million-mile lifespan.

Aerodynamics improved, enabling a 500-mile range on the long-haul version, and about 325 miles on the shorter-wheelbase standard-range model. Megachargers can now deliver up to 1.2 megawatts, adding roughly 300 miles in about 30 minutes.

Leno hauled heavy loads and marveled at the turning radius and effortless power delivery. “I don’t feel like I’m pulling anything,” he said during the episode.

With hundreds of Semis already accumulating over 13.5 million fleet miles and high uptime, the future of heavy-duty trucking looks electric. Drivers are giving raving reviews, and they’re ready to climb aboard the electric trucking industry for good.

Tesla and SpaceX are two of Elon Musk’s most popular and notable companies, but a new note from one Wall Street analyst claims the two companies will become one sometime next year, as 2027 could see the dawn of a new horizon.

In a bold new research note, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives has reaffirmed his long-standing prediction: Tesla and SpaceX will merge in 2027.

The move, Ives argues, is no longer a distant possibility but a logical next step, fueled by deepening operational ties, shared AI ambitions, and Elon Musk’s vision for dominating the next era of technology.

He writes:

“Still Expect Tesla and SpaceX to Merge in 2027. We continue to believe that SpaceX and Tesla will eventually merge into one company in 2027 with the groundwork already in place for both operations to become one organization. Tesla already owns a stake in SpaceX after the company’s $2 billion investment in xAI got converted to SpaceX shares following SpaceX’s acquisition of xAI earlier this year initially tying both of Musk’s ventures closer together but still represents <1% of SpaceX’s expected valuation. The recent announcement of a joint Terafab facility between SpaceX and Tesla further ties both operations together making it more feasible to merge operations given the now existing overlap being built out across the two with this the first step.”

The groundwork is already being laid. Earlier this year, SpaceX acquired xAI, converting Tesla’s $2 billion investment in the AI startup into a small equity stake, less than 1 percent, in SpaceX.

Regulatory filings cleared the transaction in March 2026, formally linking the two Musk-led companies financially for the first time. Then came the announcement of a joint TERAFAB facility in Austin, Texas: two advanced chip factories, one dedicated to Tesla’s AI needs for vehicles and Optimus robots, the other targeting space-based data centers.

Elon Musk launches TERAFAB: The $25B Tesla-SpaceXAI chip factory that will rewire the AI industry

Ives calls Terafab the “first step” toward full operational integration.

SpaceX’s impending IPO, expected as soon as mid-June 2026, will turbocharge these plans. The company aims to raise approximately $75 billion at a roughly $1.75 trillion valuation, far exceeding earlier estimates.

Proceeds will fund Starship rocket flights, a NASA-contracted lunar base, expanded Starlink services across maritime, aviation, and direct-to-mobile applications, and crucially, orbital AI infrastructure

A major driver is the exploding demand for AI compute. U.S. data centers are projected to consume 470 TWh of electricity by 2030, constrained by power grids and land.

🚨 Wedbush’s Dan Ives says that Tesla and SpaceX will merge in 2027. SpaceX will IPO soon, his new note says:

“According to media reports, SpaceX could file a prospectus for an IPO imminently with the goal of raising ~$75 billion above the prior expectation of ~$50 billion…

— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) March 27, 2026

SpaceX’s strategy, launching millions of solar-powered satellites to host data centers in orbit, bypasses Earth’s energy bottlenecks. Solar energy captured in space avoids atmospheric losses and day-night cycles, offering a scalable solution for AI training and inference.

The xAI acquisition ties directly into this vision, positioning the combined entity as a leader in extraterrestrial computing.

The merger would create a formidable conglomerate spanning electric vehicles, robotics, satellite communications, human spaceflight, and defense.

Ives highlights SpaceX’s role in the Trump administration’s “Golden Dome” missile defense shield, which would leverage Starlink satellites for tracking.

For Tesla, access to SpaceX’s launch cadence and orbital assets could accelerate autonomous driving, Robotaxi fleets, and Optimus deployment.

Musk, who has signaled his desire to own roughly 25 percent of Tesla to steer its AI future, views the combination as essential to overcoming fragmented regulatory scrutiny from the FTC and DOJ.

Challenges remain. Antitrust hurdles could delay or reshape the deal, and shareholder approvals on both sides would be required. Yet Ives remains bullish, maintaining an Outperform rating on Tesla with a $600 price target, implying substantial upside from current levels. The analyst sees the merger as the “holy grail” for consolidating Musk’s disruptive tech empire.

If realized, a 2027 Tesla-SpaceX union would not only reshape corporate boundaries but redefine humanity’s trajectory in AI and space exploration. It would mark the moment two pioneering companies become one unstoppable force, pushing the limits of what’s possible on Earth and beyond.

Fortune has named Tesla to its America’s Most Innovative Companies 2026 list, and the timing could not carry more weight. With Cybercab production ramping at Gigafactory Texas and a driverless Robotaxi service expanding to key cities in the US, Tesla’s inclusion is a direct reflection of the future of innovation happening right now.

Fortune’s list, produced annually in partnership with Statista, evaluates 300 companies across three dimensions: product innovation, process innovation, and innovation culture. This year’s cohort of 300 generated over $12.5 trillion in combined revenue, and Tesla’s entry places it alongside Rivian, which made the list for the first time. Tesla edges out Rivian on the strength of a product pipeline that is meaningfully further along. Where Rivian has introduced a self-driving AI model, Tesla has logged over 8 billion miles on its Full Self Driving tech, logged more than 250,000 miles of unsupervised Robotaxi service in Austin, and rolled the first production Cybercab off the line at Gigafactory Texas in February 2026.

Credit: Tesla

The Cybercab is the product that defines Tesla’s case for innovation. It has no steering wheel, no pedals, and is designed to be produced at a cycle time of one vehicle every ten seconds using a revolutionary unboxed manufacturing process. Elon Musk, speaking at Tesla’s 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, described it plainly: “Manufacturing for the Cybercab is closer to a high-volume consumer electronics device than a car manufacturing line.” That ambition is unprecedented in the automotive industry. Musk also acknowledged the ramp will be deliberate: “Almost everything is new, so the early production rate will be agonizingly slow, but eventually end up being insanely fast.”

🎥: Our FULL first ride in the @Tesla Cybercab pic.twitter.com/6gR7OgKRCz

— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) October 11, 2024

Historically, Tesla’s recognition on lists like this has tracked with its product breakthroughs. The company changed the auto industry’s trajectory when it proved electric vehicles could be desirable, then again when it scaled Gigafactory production, and again when FSD began logging real safety data at scale. The Cybercab represents the next inflection point, a purpose-built autonomous vehicle priced below $30,000 that is designed to operate in a networked Robotaxi fleet expanding from Austin to Miami, Dallas, Phoenix, and Las Vegas.

Fortune’s recognition arrives as Tesla is navigating one of its most consequential years. Mass production begins in April 2026. Regulatory approvals are progressing alongside deployment data. Rivals are watching closely.

Here is a look at the top companies on Fortune’s 2026 list, led by Alphabet for the fourth straight year:

• 1. Alphabet — AI leadership across Search, DeepMind, and Waymo; dominant patent portfolio and innovation culture
• 2. Microsoft — Azure AI, Copilot integration across enterprise software, and OpenAI partnership
• 3. Apple — iPhone ecosystem innovation, Apple Silicon, and Vision Pro spatial computing platform
• 4. Abbott — medical device breakthroughs including continuous glucose monitors and cardiac diagnostics
• 5. KLA — semiconductor process control enabling AI chip production at scale; newcomer to the top 5
• 6–20. Additional confirmed inclusions: Tesla, Harness (No. 24), Rivian, Cognizant, PPG, DXC Technology, and Advanced Technology Services, among 98 first-time entrants. The complete ranked list is available at fortune.com (behind a paywall)