Tesla Semi Begins Production
Tesla has announced that production on their Semi Truck has officially begun production!
On Oct 6th, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced over twitter that the company had begun assembling the first batch of their electric transport hauler - and that the 500 mile-range trucks would be delivered to PepsiCo by December 1st of this year.
Tesla launched their Semi Truck concept in 2017, and PepsiCo immediately placed the biggest order for them - 100 vehicles. The plan was to use the first 15 of these electric haulers to begin transitioning their Frito-Lay facility in Modesto California into a zero-emission factory.
But unfortunately, it's taken a bit of time to get the vehicle to production. After a production facility was built near the Nevada Gigafactory last year, Tesla stated that they hoped they could ramp up production of the Semi from 5 units per week once GigaTexas was more able to support the higher-volume output with their 4680 battery production.
But some delays with battery and component supply issues forced Tesla to take their time setting up the starting facility. They were able to install a Megacharger station at its Modesto facility in the meantime - allowing the facility to take the delivery of the Semis before handing them off to Pepsi.
Currently, it looks like Pepsi will be receiving some brand new Tesla Semis for the holidays, which is a welcome surprise for Pepsi and anyone who's wanted to see these trucks in action - as Tesla had previously predicted Semi production to begin in 2023.
The standard diesel semi accounts for a huge chunk of carbon emissions in the North American transport industry, and they're notoriously expensive to operate. At 500 miles per charge, it's estimated that a Tesla Semi would cost about half the operational charges of a standard diesel truck.
Relief in this industry could make a sizable dent in our carbon footprint, and transportation costs. Plus, they look really cool.