First Tesla Semis to be delivered Thursday night, three years late
PepsiCo is the first customer for the electric tractor
The first Tesla Semis will be handed over to at least one customer Thursday night, three years later than originally planned.
The truck was unveiled as a concept in November 2017 with plans to have it in production by 2019, but it was delayed for various reasons.
PepsiCo reserved 100 Semis shortly after its reveal and will receive its first trucks during a delivery event at Tesla's Sparks, Nevada, factory.
Tesla has not confirmed if any other reservation holders will be picking up trucks at the event, which will be livestreamed at 5 p.m. PT.
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The Semi was first revealed in 2017. (REUTERS/Alexandria Sage/File Photo / Reuters Photos)
The number of vehicles being delivered is unknown, but PepsiCo said it will initially use them at its Frito-Lay plant in Modesto, California, and PepsiCo beverages plant in Sacramento, California.
Tesla Chair Robyn Denholm recently said the automaker could build as many as 100 Semis before the end of 2022, but the long-term goal is much higher than that.
"As I think everyone knows at this point, it takes about a year to ramp up production. So, we expect to see significant -- we're tentatively aiming for 50,000 units in 2024 for Tesla Semi in North America," CEO Elon Musk said during Tesla's third-quarter earnings call.
"And obviously, we'll expand beyond North America. And these would sell -- I don't want to say the exact prices, but they're much more than a passenger vehicle."
Tesla's Semi delivery event will take place at its Sparks, Nevada, factory. (Tesla / Fox News)
Musk said he would be present at the delivery event.
The Semi was previously listed on Tesla's website at $180,000 for a version that could go 500 miles per charge, but the pricing information has since been removed and PepsiCo has not said how much it is paying for the vehicles. A number of incentives are available for the purchase of commercial electric trucks, including a federal tax credit included in the Inflation Reduction Act that is worth 30% of the purchase price up to $40,000.
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The Semi was expected to be designed around Tesla's next-generation 4680 battery cells, which are larger and more power dense, but will be launching with the smaller current generation 2170 type that is used in most of its U.S. made cars.
The Semi has a range of 500 with a full trailer. (Tesla / Fox News)
Even with the older battery, Musk said last week that one of the trucks completed a 500-mile test drive on one charge with a full load at a total weight of 81,000 pounds.
The Semi is a Class 8 truck and federal regulations allow it to operate at a maximum weight of 82,000 pounds.
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The standard Class 8 limit is 80,000 pounds, but the regulations were updated during former President Trump's administration to help accommodate for the added weight of an electric truck's battery pack.