Watch: Did This Drone Just Capture Tesla Testing Its Semi and Model X Plaid at the Factory?
Tesla is typically tight-lipped about the goings-on in its Fremont, Calif. factory, but that hasn’t stopped one drone operator from getting an unauthorized sneak peek at what appears to be two of the automaker’s newest projects.
The plucky UAV pilot behind the YouTube channel Gabeincal frequently completes Tesla factory flyovers that give viewers a prime view of the EV maker’s equipment and facilities. This time around, however, Gabeincal one-upped himself, capturing what appears to be a refreshed Model X and the much-hyped Semi.
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At around the six-minute mark in the video, we see a black SUV pull up beside the white cab of a semi-truck, sans cargo cab. There is speculation that the SUV is actually the new tri-motor Tesla Model X Plaid, while the truck could be the new Tesla Semi. The marque did not immediately respond to Robb Report’s request for comment about the vehicles in the video.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk initially estimated that updated versions of the flagship Model S and Model X, along with the Model X Plaid, would roll out during the first quarter of this year, though none have been spotted thus far. That is, unless the black SUV in Gabeincal’s clip is in fact the latter vehicle.
To recap, the Model X Plaid will be fitted with three electric motors that reportedly produce a gutsy 1,020 horses to see the four-wheeler soar from zero to 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds and hit a top speed of 163 mph. Tesla also claims the car can travel 340 miles on a single charge. Starting at $119,000, it will be one of the most powerful electric SUVs when it hits the market.
The new Semi, on the other hand, looks to have undergone some updates since it was first unveiled back in 2017. Starting at $150,000, the next-gen lorry, which Tesla bills as “the safest, most comfortable truck ever,” will feature four independent electric motors on rear axles. Tesla says the Class 8 heavy-duty truck will offer a range of either 300 or 500 miles.
If nothing else, this new spy footage has shown us that the anticipation for these long-awaited vehicles has reached a fever pitch—and that Tesla also has a lot of work on the horizon. But something tells us we’ll be seeing more of these two vehicles before long.
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