Tesla has once again been spotted testing one of its Semi trucks equipped with roof-mounted hardware, indicating the automaker is continuing to develop Full Self-Driving (FSD) for the Semi.
The latest sighting shows one of the Class 8 trucks carrying ground truthing equipment, similar to a setup that was observed on a different Semi nearly two years ago.
Spotted the new semi adorned with ground truthing equipment. Haven’t seen anyone post this so figured I’d share.
— Danny (@dannywinner1) June 21, 2026
The future is autonomous!!@SawyerMerritt @wholemars pic.twitter.com/qkPDHPUQZ6
This isn’t the first time a Tesla Semi has been seen carrying extra sensors. Back in October 2024, a test vehicle was spotted with what appeared to be LiDAR equipment mounted on top of the cab. At the time, the sighting came just hours after Tesla’s AI team teased there was more to come following the release of Full Self-Driving (FSD) for the Cybertruck.
Although Tesla relies on cameras rather than LiDAR in its production vehicles, the company has repeatedly used additional sensors on development vehicles. These systems provide highly accurate “ground truth” data that engineers can compare against what Tesla Vision sees, helping validate and train the neural networks that power FSD.
Tesla has never officially announced Full Self-Driving capability for the Semi, but several clues over the last two years have suggested autonomous functionality is being actively developed. Unlike passenger vehicles, every Tesla Semi currently operating with customers such as PepsiCo and other fleet operators is driven manually.
That could eventually change. Long-haul trucking has long been viewed as one of the biggest opportunities for autonomous driving technology. A self-driving Semi could dramatically improve efficiency by reducing driver fatigue and maximizing vehicle utilization. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly described autonomous trucks as a major part of the company’s long-term plans, and the Semi itself was originally unveiled with features designed around future autonomy.
Exactly when those capabilities will arrive remains unclear as the company has yet to outline a timeline for the Semi.
However, the appearance of another test unit suggests work behind the scenes is continuing. Nearly two years after the first sighting, Tesla still appears to be collecting the data needed to bring autonomous capabilities to its Class 8 truck.
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