- PepsiCo has announced that it will receive 15 Tesla Semi electric trucks in California before the end of 2021.
- This will be part of PepsiCo’s project to turn the Frito-Lay Modesto facility in California into a zero-emissions unit.
- Tesla intends to sell the Semi with 300 miles and 500 miles of range, expected to cost $150,000 and $180,000 respectively.
PepsiCo has announced that it will receive 15 Tesla Semi electric trucks before the end of 2021. This gives us an excellent idea of Tesla’s plans for the ambitious truck.
Although the Semi has been delayed and seen a change of schedule several times since its announcement in 2017, it seems like the company is finally ready to scale up production. Tesla has recently hinted that it plans to take the Semi into production and begin deliveries this year.
This seems more likely when we consider that Tesla recently shared a video showing the Semi doing laps on the track. Despite PepsiCo’s announcement, it’s currently unclear what kind of volume Tesla can achieve for the Semi.
PepsiCo showed interest in the Tesla Semi pretty early on and is reported to have placed orders for 100 units of the electric truck, the most by any company so far. The Semi will be part of PepsiCo’s project to make its Frito-Lay Modesto site in California a zero-emissions unit.
PepsiCo said the following in a statement – “To date, the equipment and infrastructure in place at the site includes nearly 60 tractors, box trucks, yard trucks or forklifts powered by electric, lithium-ion technologies or natural gas with renewable attributes, with the remaining 15 electric tractors expected to deploy later this year.”
Interestingly, the mention of “15 electric tractors” refers to the Tesla Semi, something that PepsiCo later confirmed while adding that the trucks will be added to the fleet by the end of the year.
Tesla said in 2017 that the production version of the truck would be identified as a Class 8 truck, offering a capacity of upto 80,000 lbs. The two variants of the Semi will cost $150,000 and $180,000 with a range of 300 and 500 miles, respectively. Tesla has further clarified that the Semi will use for independent motors on the rear axles.
Source: PepsiCo