Tesla Scores Deal To Help Double The US Electrical Semi-Truck Fleet

Tesla introduced its electrical semi-truck again in 2017, however deliveries to its first prospects are nearly to begin almost a decade later in September 2026. On September twenty fourth, Tesla held a launch occasion for the Semi at its manufacturing plant in Nevada, the place it plans to construct 50,000 Semis a 12 months. It might appear to be a lofty purpose, however Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated in a pre-recorded video message that there’s already an enormous ready listing for the Semi. At $290,000 for a Long Range Semi, it is predicted that Tesla will ship 15,000 in 2026 at most. 

One of these early prospects consists of Zero-Emission Truck Shipper-Carrier Alliance Leading Electrification (ZET SCALE), a shipper alliance with manufacturers like Microsoft and PepsiCo that reportedly ordered 2,500 of the electrical semis — the most important electrical Class 8 order ever made within the U.S. Tesla’s announcement made it sound as if it was offering all 2,500 of the vans, but it surely’s simply the first provider together with different manufacturers. The fleet of two,500 electrical vans will probably be deployed in Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, New York, Atlanta, and different freight hubs over the subsequent few years. 

Said Dan Priestley, Director for the Tesla Semi Program: “We are proud to have been the first choice on this RFP and sit up for giving shippers and carriers a brand new aggressive edge.” 

The Semi has a fairly typical historical past, so far as Tesla goes. Musk introduced the car in 2017 and had lofty objectives of launching it in 2019, claiming it might be low cost to function, carry a full load, and attain 500 miles on a single cost. At the time, consultants responded that this was almost unimaginable to drag off attributable to know-how limitations. Tesla continued to overlook numerous launch dates, finally delivery some early examples to PepsiCo in 2022. Next 12 months’s launch date was additionally missed, though manufacturers like Walmart, Costco, and the NFL got one Semi to check. Those have now been used for over 5 million miles. 

If that timeline sounds acquainted, it is doubtless as a result of the second-generation Roadster was introduced in 2017, delayed a number of instances, and is lastly getting a reveal October 2026. The Cybercab was revealed in 2024, Musk claimed 2 million can be produced a 12 months, and as of 2026, there are solely 69 lively Cybercabs besting examined in a couple of cities. 

“This goes to be a revolutionary truck that is able to carrying the heaviest hundreds over very far distances,” Musk stated forward of the launch occasion. He additionally added that will probably be the “funnest truck to drive” attributable to its quick acceleration, which echoes previous statements, noting it is going to get Full Self-Driving sooner or later. There will probably be a Standard Range Semi that has 350 miles and a Long Range that will get 500 miles. 

These are additionally claims that drivers should remain skeptical about. The Cybertruck was initially stated to have a 500-mile vary when it was revealed, however the actuality is lower than 300 miles. No touch upon Musk’s declare that the Cybertruck could act as a boat.