Leave it to Elon Musk to drop a bombshell just as we’re all getting ready for the weekend. The always provocative Tesla CEO took to Twitter last Friday, April 14, to announce plans to introduce the automaker’s first venture into the world of semi-trucks this coming September. The news itself isn’t groundbreaking since Musk already laid out what the company’s intentions were back in July 2016 as part of its “Master Plan, Part Deux” mission. But, until late last week, those plans were of the vague persuasion, devoid of any specific timetable.

Well, the timetable has arrived…and it’s literally five months from now.

Not one to be caught saying too much in the way of juicy details, Musk kept the announcement short and sweet, opting only to say that the “team has done an amazing job,” presumably in the development of the semi-truck and that the vehicle itself is “seriously next level.” Those statements aren’t much to go by at this point, but the mere hint that we’re closer to seeing the actual vehicle - even if it’s a prototype - so soon after its announcement is pretty indicative of the company’s intentions in staking its name into the electric semi truck arena.

At this point, the waiting game now begins on more details surrounding the semi-truck. If Musk’s past comments about the development are anything to go by, expect the Tesla Semi - or whatever name it ends up getting - to “deliver a substantial reduction in the cost of cargo transport while increasing safety and making it really fun to operate."

Continue after the jump to read the full story.

Plenty of expectations that Tesla has to live up to

This is obviously exciting news considering where Tesla is right now as an automaker. Despite having fewer means than most major auto brands, Tesla has found a way to not only remain relevant but, for better or worse, become front page news altogether. Now that the spotlight is on regarding its plans to develop an electric semi-truck, a lot of people will have its eyes on the company to see how far along development is and when these vehicles are actually going to make their debuts.

See, those who know Tesla know that the company is prone to delays when it comes to the development of its vehicles. That’s not to say that we can expect some kind of delays with regards to the electric semi trucks, but the automaker’s history suggests that it’s due for one or two of them at some point. The good news is that these delays won’t matter if Tesla ends up introducing a vehicle that can live up to the hype and expectations that people will have of it. So far, Tesla has proven itself in that regard with both Model S and Model X units becoming successes in their own right, warts and all.

More importantly for Tesla here is how it will be able to develop its electric semi trucks to stand out from the competition. Remember, the company isn’t the first manufacturer to venture into this world. Dutch manufacturer Terberg already has electric semis that are used by companies like BMW to deliver parts to its production facility in Munich, Germany. Other firms like Nikola Motor have also looked into developing EV semis, only to turn its attention to developing trucks that run on hydrogen.

Whatever this market looks like in the future, we can all agree that Tesla’s electric semi truck will play a big role in shaping it. That’s a lot of expectations, but knowing Tesla, that’s exactly the position the company, or at least its outspoken CEO, wants to be in.