EVwire brief: Tesla's latest Semi teaser appears to be missing something: the truck's traditional side mirrors.
The short clip, shared by Tesla's official Semi account on X ahead of the company's IAA Transportation appearance in Hannover next month, shows the truck from the front and side without visible mirror stalks. Previous Semi prototypes, including both the US and European versions shown at IAA 2024, carried large conventional mirror housings.
The apparent change has caught keen eyes at EVwire, as it seemed like the production Semi could ship with camera monitor systems (CMS) instead of physical mirrors.
The Tesla Semi’s European teaser features a part never seen in its North American variants.
North American Tesla Semi vehicles have all been fitted with large, standard side mirrors.
If the speculation holds, Tesla would be implementing a solution that Europe's biggest truck makers started exploring years ago. Camera monitor systems have been legal on trucks in Europe since 2016, when the United Nations amended Regulation 46 (UN R46) to formally recognize cameras and screens as replacements for physical mirrors. The regulation requires systems to meet strict standards for image quality, field of view, display brightness, and latency under 200 milliseconds.
Mercedes-Benz led the way. Its MirrorCam system launched on the Actros in late 2018, making it the first series-production truck to replace side mirrors with cameras. The system is now standard across the Actros, Arocs, and eActros lineups. The latest MirrorCam 2 version features shorter mounting arms and improved night vision.
Mercedes-Benz’s Actros was released with MirrorCam way back in late 2018. The MirrorCam looks quite similar to the mirrors in the Semi’s European teaser.
The rest of the industry followed. DAF offers its Digital Vision System across the XD, XF, XG, and XG+ ranges, claiming more than 1% improvement in fuel economy. Volvo has made its camera system standard on all new Aero cabs, with enhanced night vision using infrared. MAN's OptiView is available on every truck model in its lineup, with automatic zooming that adjusts between city and highway driving. Scania offers its own Mirror View Camera as well.
The benefits go beyond aesthetics. Camera systems cut aerodynamic drag by roughly 1.5%, improve visibility in rain and at night, and cover blind spots that convex mirrors miss. Electric truck chasing every last mile of range, ditching the mirror stalks is a practical upgrade, not just a cosmetic one.
In the US, the rules have not caught up. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 111 (FMVSS 111) still requires physical mirrors on commercial vehicles. Petitions from Tesla, GM, Volkswagen, Toyota, and Daimler have been pending with NHTSA since 2014. Tesla's current US Semi fleet runs conventional mirrors regardless of what the company might prefer.
EVwire is first media to report on Tesla Semi using cameras instead of mirrors in Europe, as we discovered it from the teaser video.
Context:
Tesla has been working toward bringing the Semi to Europe for years, but the company has so far prioritized getting production established in North America. When the Semi made its European debut at IAA Transportation in 2024, Tesla brought two US-built trucks and presented them as its European Development Platform. The company said only relatively minor changes were required to make the truck street-legal in Europe, including modifications to areas such as the wheel covers and signal lights.
EVwire's Jaan Juurikas was among the first members of the public to ride in the Semi at that event, getting an extensive look at the truck and speaking with members of Tesla's Semi team.
At the time, Semi program lead Dan Priestley said Tesla was focusing on North American production before bringing the truck to European customers. That situation appears to have changed, with Tesla's high-volume Semi production line in Nevada starting operations in May, and the company confirming that Europe will get its own specifications and launch details at this year's IAA Transportation event.
Source: Tesla Semi on X
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