Jay Leno just drove the production Tesla Semi with a battery designed to last one million miles and his verdict was simple
Published on Mar 25, 2026 at 4:00 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Mar 25, 2026 at 3:26 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
American comedian and former chat show host Jay Leno has driven nearly everything there is to drive, but recently, he got his hands on the future in the form of the production Tesla Semi truck EV.
This impressive vehicle has a battery that is meant to last one million miles, which, in theory, means the truck should last a very long time.
Leno has actually been the first person outside of Tesla to drive the full production version of the long-awaited Semi.
After getting behind the wheel, he was finally able to give his verdict on the EV.
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What Jay Leno thought about the Tesla Semi
The Tesla Semi appeared in a recent video on Leno’s YouTube channel, Jay Leno’s Garage.
The chat show legend actually drove a pre-production version of the truck in 2023, but this is the full production spec model.
Since 2023, the EV truck has undergone a few changes.
Tesla Semi program director Dan Priestley and Tesla’s director of styling, Franz von Holzhausen, were there to explain.
For example, they told the comedian the truck had now lost some 1,000lbs of weight since October 2023.
Despite a federal weight exemption, it now has the same payload capacity as a diesel Class 8 truck.
Leno was also impressed by the drag coefficient, which has improved to 0.4 thanks to a facelift on the truck.
The truck has a battery that can last one million miles
The impressive battery, though, is what really stands out.
In terms of range, the truck can drive 500 miles without needing a recharge.
At a Megacharger station, 400 miles of range can be added in just 30 minutes.
Leno learned that the battery, in theory, should work fine up until the one million-mile mark.
Priestley told the comedian that the highest-mileage Semi has reached almost 440,000 miles.
It is perhaps little wonder that the comedian said the Tesla Semi marks ‘the death of diesel’.
In total, the truck has spent three years in pilot programs to reach this point.
While some have already been used across America, high-volume production will finally begin in 2026.
Tesla hopes to produce around 50,000 units of the huge truck every year.
Perhaps Jay Leno has indeed driven what could be the future of heavy haulage in the United States.
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Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a heritage steam railway.
