Tesla Semi prototype spotted in Canada, likely for winter testing

A Tesla Semi prototype has been spotted outside the US, in Canada to be precise, for the first time. It’s likely to undergo winter testing, as recently announced by Tesla.

For the last two years since the unveiling of the Tesla Semi, the automaker appears to have made only two electric truck prototypes and put them through an extensive test program.

In 2018 and early 2019, there were many sightings of the two electric truck prototypes, but the sightings have slowed down over the last six months.

Earlier this month, Tesla released a new update on the test program, improvements, and timeline for the Tesla Semi electric truck.

In this update, the automaker said that they are starting a winter test program:

In the short term, the is gearing up for several weeks of winter testing to validate the trucks’s performance in cold weather and low traction conditions. We are excited to share insights from the winter with you, as we will be able to highlight the major advantages of electric traction and motor control, which no diesel powertrain can match.

Now one of the two Tesla Semi prototypes was spotted crossing the border to Canada, where it happens to be pretty cold right now.

The Tesla Semi was spotted crossing the border to Canada on a trailer earlier this week:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8UfZy9hm9J/

It was later spotted in Ashcroft, British Columbia, which is about a four-hour drive northeast of Vancouver:

https://twitter.com/blackties_laker/status/1226683458765742080

Electrek recently received a tip that Tesla planned to bring the electric semi truck to its cold-weather testing grounds in Alaska.

We weren’t able to confirm that tip, but it’s now clear that the prototype is making its way north.

When unveiling Tesla Semi in 2017, Tesla started guiding the start of production in 2019, but it delayed the production of the electric truck to 2020.

Later, Tesla added that it is planning Tesla Semi electric truck production to start “with limited volumes” in 2020.