Tesla looks to enter trucking business with electric semi

Tesla Inc. wants to electrify big trucks.

After more than a decade of making cars and SUVs — and, more recently, solar panels — the company plans to unveil an electric semi tractor-trailer on Thursday night in Hawthorne, California.

The move fits with Tesla CEO Elon Musk's stated goal for the company of accelerating the shift to sustainable transportation. But the semi also adds to the chaos at Tesla, which posted a record loss in the third quarter. It's already way behind on production of the Model 3, a new lower-cost sedan.

Tesla hasn't released any details about the semi, but some analysts expect it to have a range of around 200 miles.

Musk has said it should take about two years to bring the semi to market.