Biggest single public order yet.
Despite the reservations that some logisitical firms are holding to, it appears that PepsiCo Inc has no such concerns, as have filed a reservation for some 100 brand-new all-electric Tesla Semis as the company undertakes a program to reduce its carbon footprint. Tesla has been doing its best to convince that its electric haulers are the future, with many experienced quarters doubting the reliability, the recharging times, range and payload of the unproven rigs, preferring to wait it out until time proves one thing or the other.
With some 260,000 heavy-duty haulers produced in North America every year, it’s no wonder why Tesla wants to carve itself a slice of the lucrative logistics pie. On the surface, the Semi appears to have what it needs to make a dent: 800km range on a full charge, masses of torque, and 640km range with a 30-minute recharge. However, some remain unconvinced about how Tesla’s unproven rigs will perform in the real world, and will likely remain unconvinced for some time, given that the Semi won’t roll out until 2020.
According to Reuters, the 100 Semis that PepsiCo have reserved will join their existing fleet of about 10,000 rigs, and will be part of PepsiCo’s distribution link for destinations within the 800km range that Tesla has promised for the Semi. Ahead of their delivery, PepsiCo will analyse their routes and and deploy their Semis where they will be most effective, though no delivery date was communicated during the announcement.
You can read up on the Tesla Semi here, or you could perhaps move on to the more exciting Tesla Roadster here.
For more information on Tesla, check out our Showroom.
