Horizon Eyes Class 8 BEV Tractor Production Inside 18 Months

The initial version of the tractor will be equipped with lithium iron phosphate rechargeable batteries, but later versions will come with solid-state batteries. (Horizon Motor)

Battery-electric truck manufacturer Horizon Motor is aiming to begin production of a Class 8 tractor — known as the HM8 BEVSM — within 18 months, according to CEO Sean Jones.

Horizon currently sells Classes 3-7 battery-electric trucks but is expanding its portfolio with a Class 8 design intended to rival the Tesla Semi.

The HM8 BEVSM tractor made its public debut at the 2026 Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in Las Vegas at the start of May.

Tucker, Ga.-based Horizon’s tractor has a curb weight of 29,000 pounds and a range of 450 miles.

The long-awaited Tesla Semi, specs for which were first revealed in February, is being offered in two versions. A standard truck will have a range of about 325 miles, while the long-range version will reach about 500 miles.

A standard version of the Tesla Semi has a curb weight of less than 20,000 pounds, while the long-range option tips the scales at 23,000 pounds.

“What we’re trying to do was not just make a Tesla knockoff; we tried to make a heavier, bigger truck that has more torque, handles two seats, doesn’t have a full sleeper, but a smaller resting area,” Jones said. “Things that we thought would be an improvement on what Tesla has.

“It’s got a little bit higher point of view on the road. The two seats, which was a big gripe amongst drivers when they first looked at the Tesla. It’s got the side windows.”

Jones noted that this would make it easier for drivers to interact with customers or officials at terminals or ports, respectively.

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Jones poses with the HM8 BEVSM at ACT Expo 2026. (Keiron Greenhalgh/Transport Topics)

Jones told Transport Topics in a June 1 interview that Horizon showcased a 2026 version of the HM8 BEVSM at ACT Expo. But when carriers can get their hands on a 2027 version, there will be a number of changes and improvements.

The initial version of the tractor will be equipped with lithium iron phosphate rechargeable batteries, but later versions will come with solid-state batteries sourced from Chery Automotive, which may reduce the weight of the HM8 BEVSM.

In February, Horizon announced a deal with the Chinese automaker and technology group.

“We were hoping when we signed [the deal] that we would be high enough in the queue that within a year we’d be able to start switching over to those. But there are people who managed to sign deals with Chery before us, and then Chery also wants to use it in their production,” Jones told TT, adding that it could be two years before supplies for Horizon arrive.

Solid-state batteries utilize lithium-metal instead of graphite anodes. As a result, the batteries offer substantially more power in a smaller, lighter package. Commercial options are currently scarce compared with rival battery chemistries such as LFP or nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC).

When the solid-state batteries do become available, Horizon plans to replace the LFP option for the HM8 BEVSM plus its Classes 3-6 vocational trucks. Horizon’s best-selling configurations have been tow and box trucks, Jones told TT.

Horizon — which was founded in 2019 — has sold more than 50 trucks and has the ability to produce another 40 or 50 vehicles quickly, the company’s top executive said.

Horizon has, however, stopped offering five configurations of a cabover, 3- or 4-axle Class 8 cab and chassis, Jones said.

“It was designed around swappable batteries,” he said, but advances in charging and battery technology outpaced those plans, particularly given the investment fleet owners would be required to make in a swapping facility.