Tesla's long-delayed electric Semi truck is finally inching closer to reality, as the company just opened orders and reservations in the United States. This news comes as the release date remains a mystery.

In April, Tesla CEO Elon Musk issued a statement suggesting one of its most delayed vehicles would finally arrive in 2023. That comment followed similar statements in the summer of 2021 when Tesla said the Semi would hit the roads in late 2022.

Obviously, that never happened, as the auto manufacturer keeps churning out popular vehicles like the Model Y and Model 3. That said, it looks like the company could finally be ready to produce its electric Semi because customers can reserve their own for $20,000. The latest comments from Elon Musk suggest the Semi might finally arrive sometime next year.

As you can see above, Tesla is taking pre-orders for the Semi, and customers can reserve a spot in line for $5,000. However, you'll need to send an additional $15,000 (or $20k total) within ten days to complete the reservation.

Along with the reservation system, Tesla also shared more information about its two Semi models. The company initially plans to release two variants, one with 300 miles of range for $150,000 and a secondary option for $180,000 that can go nearly 500 miles on a single charge. It makes sense for users to jump for the long-range model at those prices.

Tesla says the Semi is mostly maintenance-free, and owners could save roughly $200,000 every two years on fuel and maintenance savings alone compared to traditional semi trucks. This means the truck could almost pay itself off after two years.

Tesla's Semi truck gets its power from four rear-axle electric motors, and the company suggests drivers will be able to tow upwards of 36 tons, or 80,000 lbs of cargo. However, it's unclear if those range numbers include while pulling a full trailer of cargo, so we'll have to wait and see.

We still don't know much about the Tesla Semi but expect to learn more soon if it's really coming in 2023.

Source: Tesla