Tesla has finally begun production of its all-electric semi truck, with the first ones to be delivered to Pepsi on December 1st.
Company boss Elon Musk revealed the news in a tweet Thursday night, adding that the truck is “super fun to drive.”
I am excited to announce the start of Tesla Semi Truck production with deliveries to @Pepsi on December 1st! pic.twitter.com/gq0l73iGRW
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 6, 2022
Besides Pepsi, other interested buyers of Tesla’s Semi truck include companies like Walmart, FedEx, DHL, United Parcel Service and Anheuser-Busch.
Since its introduction five years ago, Tesla’s semi-truck has faced a number of production delays, forcing interested customers to exercise a lot of patience — or prompting them to consider alternatives — while they wait for the truck’s arrival.
Tesla boss Elon Musk said in August that a 500-mile range version of the Semi would begin shipping before the end of 2022, and it looks like that’s indeed going to happen.
The summer announcement came as a surprise, as Tesla’s boss had said earlier in the year that the company wouldn’t introduce any new vehicles in 2022, leaving many to believe the truck would land in 2023. Although for Pepsi, that’s not as it turned out, other customers will apparently have to wait until next year before they finally receive their order.
Tesla’s Semi features a sleek design and can reach 60 mph in 20 seconds when loaded to its maximum gross weight of 80,000 pounds.
The vehicle is built with four independent motors for maximum power and acceleration, which Tesla says gives it low energy costs per mile.
The California-based company is testing prototypes of the car on public roads. In 2019, for example, the Semi was seen hauling new cars down a California highway in what was apparently one of the vehicle’s first road tests.
And in 2021, Tesla shared footage showing the truck driving on a test track at its factory in Fremont, California.
In addition to the 500-mile version, Tesla will also release a Semi with a 300-mile range. The base price for the former is expected to be $180,000 and for the latter $150,000.
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https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/elon-musk-announces-first-delivery-date-semi-truck/
