Announced years ago, Tesla has finally started production of its Semi truck, which it will start delivering to Pepsi on December 1st. The soft drink company has a hundred of the electric trucks on order, initially on the book since December 2017. They will be employed in California at first, with additional routes planned as the vehicles are proven in the real world.
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Tesla promises that the Semi can accelerate from 0 to 100kph in 20 seconds even when “fully loaded” and keep up “highway-level speeds even up steep grades.” It also promises that you’ll be able to recharge up to 70 percent of its 480 or 800 kilometre range in 30 minutes, depending on the model. And according to Musk, it’s “super fun to drive.”
We haven’t heard much about the truck since its original debut in 2017 alongside the new Tesla Roadster (which is also nowhere to be seen). This year was the first time we heard more from the company, and it started taking pre-orders back in May with a $20,000 down payment. According to Reuters, companies like UPS and Sysco have also pre-ordered Tesla Semis.
Tesla has never been good with meeting deadlines, so we’ll see if they start delivering these trucks before the end of the year. Musk has promised that we’ll start seeing the new Roadster in 2023, but we’re not holding our breath.
