Finally! Elon Musk confirms Tesla’s first Semi trucks will be delivered to Pepsi in December – five YEARS after the 20ft semi-autonomous lorry was first announced
- CEO Elon Musk announces start of production of the 20-foot all-electric Semi
- Semi was announced back in November 2017 but buyers have been made to wait
- Pepsi will use the all-electric Semi for deliveries to reduce its carbon emissions
Elon Musk has confirmed that Tesla’s first Semi trucks will be delivered to Pepsi in December, five years after the vehicle was first announced.
Tesla Semi, a semi-autonomous lorry, was first announced back in November 2017 at an event in Los Angeles, but five years later it’s still yet to hit the market.
Pepsi ordered 100 of the vehicles that same year and the soft drinks giant will finally receive its order this December.
Pepsi will use Tesla’s all-electric Semi in place of petrol trucks in an effort to cut down on its greenhouse gas emissions.
Elon Musk has confirmed that Tesla’s first Semi trucks will be delivered to Pepsi in December, five years after it was first announced
According to the specs on the Tesla website, Semi has an impressive acceleration, going from 0-60 mph in 20 seconds
The Tesla CEO said that the massive battery-powered truck, said to be 20-feet long, is ‘super fun to drive’
TESLA SEMI SPECS
Range: Up to 500 miles
Acceleration: 0-60mph in 20 seconds
Energy consumption: Less than 2 kWh per mile
Charging: Up to 70 per cent in 30 minutes
Length: 20 feet (estimated)
Cost: $150,000/$180,000
‘Excited to announce start of production of Tesla Semi Truck with deliveries to @Pepsi on Dec 1st!’ Musk said in a tweet on Friday.
The Tesla CEO added that the massive battery-powered truck, said to be 20-feet long, is ‘super fun to drive’.
Semi can reach 60 miles per hour with an 80,000-pound load and is intended for highway drivers covering long distances.
According to the specs on the Tesla website, it has an impressive acceleration, going from 0-60 mph in 20 seconds.
Semi has Tesla’s semi-autonomous driving system, designed to keep a vehicle in its lane without drifting, and can transition from one freeway to another with no human intervention.
The basic version of Semi will cost about $150,000 (£132,000) and be able to travel up to 300 miles in a charge, while a 500-mile range model will go for $180,000 (£158,000).
Musk said that it will be the 500-mile range Semi that will start shipping, suggesting buyers of the less expensive 300-mile version will have to wait even longer.
It’s not clear how many Semi vehicles Tesla will produce in all, or if any other Semi purchasers will get their order in December too.
Back in 2017, Pepsi reserved 100 of Tesla’s semi electric trucks as it sought to reduce the fuel costs and fleet emissions associated with petrol vehicles.
In an interview with CNBC last year, Pepsi boss Ramon Laguarta had said transportation accounted for 10 per cent of the company’s gas emissions.
Pepsi also previously said it aims to use the trucks to ship snack foods and beverages between manufacturing and distribution centers as well as to retailers.
Tesla Semi is already in use by Elon Musk’s company – in June, it was filmed assisting with the installation of vehicle chargers in California.
It’s also been on display at Tesla’s 2,500 acre manufacturing facility in Texas during the Cyber Rodeo event in April.
Semi is one of several Tesla products that the company has announced but is yet to deliver, along with the Roadster and the Optimus robot.
But possibly the most hotly-anticipated Tesla vehicle is the Cybertruck, a futuristic pick-up truck with an angular body in gun metal grey.
FROM CYBERTRUCK TO ROADSTER: HERE’S THE TESLA PRODUCTS YET TO BE RELEASED
After months of anticipation, Elon Musk finally took the wraps off Tesla’s first AI humanoid robot, ‘Optimus’ on September 30.
Optimus, which was first announced in August last year, received a frenzied reception at the firm’s AI Day event in California.
The bot was filmed emerging from behind a wall with two robotic hands in a heart shape, before taking a few tentative steps to wild applause.
Musk said Tesla is planning to sell the bot for ‘probably less than $20,000′ (£17,700) in three to five years’ – meaning another long wait for Tesla fans to get their hands on the firm’s most anticipated technology.
Following its unveiling, MailOnline has taken a look at the Tesla products that have been announced but are still yet to be released – including Cybertruck, Robotaxi and the second-generation Roadster.
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