5 years after Elon Musk Launch of Tesla Semi to the world, some of which eventually reach the customer. Better late than neverI suppose.
Musk made an announcement – as is tradition – on Twitter, a place he may or may not own at some point in the future. After years of waiting, PepsiCo will be the first company to receive electric trucks.
Until last November, Pepsi still thinks they’ll get a Semi in 2021. It’s not.
In the same tweet, Musk also announced that Tesla has begun manufacturing trucks for other customers.
It is the newest member of the Tesla fleet, and probably will for a while. Maybe Cybertruck coming soon (it won’t) to change that.
Anyway, the Semi was supposed to hit the market back in 2019, but the delay and, you know… Tesla kept that from happening. It has been pushed back by a year almost every year.
Bloomberg reports that Tesla has pushed the Semi back in or to prioritize Model 3 and Model Y production. while also solving battery and semiconductor supply chain problems.
In January, Musk told analysts that Tesla would not launch any new models this year because of part limitations. He changed his tune three days after the US Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which made heavy electric trucks eligible for a federal tax credit of up to $40,000. The CEO tweeted on August 10 that the company will begin shipping Semis with a 500-mile range this year.
Damned, he got in right down the line. Other companies that also have orders in the books for Semis are said to be Walmart and Anheuser-Bush.
So if Musk is to be believed, the Tesla Semi is finally here. Let us rejoice in a (kind of) kept promise.
