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Tesla Semi Production Unit Possibly Spotted In The Wild, Features Aero Wheels And No Side Mirrors

By Simon Alvarez
Published on: 17:10 PST, Oct 4, 2017

The Tesla Semi would be officially unveiled later this month, but it seems like a production version of the green long-hauler is already out in the wild. In a recent post on Reddit, a Tesla enthusiast managed to snap a picture of what seems to be the Tesla Semi in its full glory, and it has sparked a lot of interest from the EV community.

The image, which was uploaded on the Tesla Motors subreddit a few days ago, featured a massive electric truck loaded on the back of a trailer. The mysterious electric vehicle was spotted at the Inyokern Airport, which is located just about two hours from Tesla’s main design facility in California.

Apart from the airport’s proximity to Tesla’s design studio, rumors are also high that Inyokern Airport is one of the upstart EV firm’s testing grounds for prototype vehicles. If these rumors prove true, there is a pretty good chance that the massive electric truck spotted at the back of a big rig at Inyokern was indeed the Tesla Semi.

Interestingly, the unidentified vehicle, especially its overall outline, bore a striking resemblance to the silhouette of the long-hauler that Elon Musk unveiled earlier this year during a TED Talk.

Unsurprisingly, the upstart carmaker refused to confirm if the sighting really featured the Tesla Semi. In a statement to The Drive, a Tesla spokesperson simply reiterated company policy, stating that the carmaker does not comment on leaks.

“Tesla’s policy is to always decline to comment on speculation.”

Looking at the leaked image, the massive EV seems to be adopting a very futuristic design. For one, the entire front of the vehicle seems very distinct, looking very different from conventional big rigs. The overall form of the Tesla Semi also seems to be compact compared to its gas-powered counterparts in the photo.

EV fans in the Tesla Motors subreddit also noted several characteristics of the upcoming electric vehicle. For one, the electric big rig’s wheels seem to be Aero Wheels, which are believed to add range to the vehicle. Others noted that the EV in the photo also seems to be lacking side mirrors, a quirk that was teased in the preview that Elon Musk released earlier this year.

Regardless of whether the vehicle in the leaked image was indeed the Tesla Semi, one thing is sure. Tesla is unveiling the electric truck on October 26. As stated in a recent Teslarati report, the carmaker has already sent out Save the Date invites for the big rig’s launch event. Until then, the recently leaked image might be the EV community’s best look at the Tesla Semi, at least for now.

[Featured Image by betto rodrigues/Shutterstock]

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