Tesla’s Robo-Trucks Poised to Revolutionize Automation by 2026

Speedy Summary

• Tesla is developing automated truck platooning, where multiple semi trucks follow a lead vehicle driven by one driver. This tech uses Full Self-Driving (FSD) software available in 2025 and plans for scaled deployment starting late 2026.
• Tesla’s Nevada factory is ramping up production to 50,000 trucks per year by 2026, aiming for an initial annual output of 10,000-20,000 units.
• The projected revenue per truck from platooning ranges between $250,000-$300,000; with production targets of 20,000 units in 2026 and expected profit reaching $5-6 billion annually (~$200 per share). By increasing to full autonomy and scaling to higher volumes (70k trucks annually),profits could reach $34 billion/year or ~$1200 per share by 2027.
• Savings compared to diesel trucking: solo electric trucks operating at ~$1.20/mile versus diesel’s cost of around $1.50/mile; three-truck platoons reducing costs further to ~$0.80/mile due to reduced drivers and increased efficiency; full autonomy potentially cutting costs as low as $0.40-$0.50/mile for operations exceeding speeds of ~200K miles yearly utilization setups .

-Projections enumerate economic pathways– regulatory U.S framework already notes29 states like legally trailing multiromodalities alternatives