Tesla Finally Delivers First Electric Semi Trucks to Pepsi After Years of Delays
Tesla hands over its first production electric Semi trucks to PepsiCo at a Nevada gigafactory event, five years after the initial reveal. The company meets its promised 500-mile range but stays silent on pricing and Autopilot features.
Tesla officially delivers the first production models of its long-delayed electric Semi truck to Pepsi at a gigafactory event in Sparks, Nevada. The automaker shows off at least five trucks featuring PepsiCo and Frito-Lay branding, fulfilling an order for 100 vehicles that Pepsi originally placed in December 2017. Other major companies like Walmart, UPS, and Anheuser-Busch also wait for their own ordered electric trucks.
The arrival of the Semi comes five years after CEO Elon Musk first unveiled the prototype and three years past his original production target. Tesla pushes back the timeline repeatedly due to battery cell shortages and broader supply chain challenges. Despite these lengthy delays, the company successfully starts production in late 2022 and highlights plans for Pepsi to use 15 Semis to create a zero-emissions facility in Modesto, California.
Tesla keeps several 2017 promises by demonstrating a 500-mile driving range on a single charge while fully loaded at highway speeds. However, the company omits key details during the presentation, leaving out the vehicle price, battery pack size, and zero-to-60 acceleration capabilities. Notably, Musk and Tesla engineers avoid any mention of the previously promised Autopilot features or the presence of the necessary cameras on the new truck.