Tesla has lined up at least 11 Semi electric trucks wearing customer logos outside its new Nevada factory, a clear sign that the automaker plans to parade its fleet customers at tonight’s Semi launch event.
A drone flyover of the plant shows trucks branded for PepsiCo, US Foods, DHL, WattEV, ABF, Einride, IMC, OK Produce, and a few others parked in a neat row by the factory.
The footage comes from Zanegler, a YouTuber who calls himself a “Tesla Semi Advocate” and regularly flies his drone over Tesla’s Semi operations in Sparks, Nevada.
In the video, eight trucks sit side by side next to the factory, each with a different company logo on the roof fairing. Three more drive around the lot nearby, including one branded for PepsiCo and one for US Foods.
Here’s what we could make out from the footage:
- PepsiCo
- US Foods
- IMC (Logistics)
- Einride
- LTS
- OK Produce
- ABF (ArcBest)
- DHL
- WattEV
At least two more logos are too blurry to identify with confidence, including one on a truck at the far end of the lot. If you can make them out, let us know in the comments.
Most of these are familiar names
A lot of these companies have already been part of the Tesla Semi story. PepsiCo took the first Tesla Semi deliveries back in late 2022, and DHL took delivery of its first Semi last December after a long trial.
ArcBest’s ABF Freight bought Semis in June after its pilot showed 1.55 kWh per mile. Einride placed a 500-truck order in August, and IMC Logistics announced a 50-truck order for California drayage just two days ago.
US Foods, OK Produce, LTS, and WattEV are the more interesting additions. We haven’t reported on firm Semi orders from those companies, so Tesla will likely use the stage to confirm them.
Tonight’s event
Tesla is holding the event at its new Semi factory next to Gigafactory Nevada, with a livestream starting at 9 p.m. ET. It’s officially the inauguration of the dedicated Semi plant, which Tesla says can build 50,000 trucks a year.
The factory has been producing trucks since the first Semi rolled off the high-volume line in April. Tesla offers two versions: a Standard Range at 325 miles and a Long Range at 500 miles, both with an 800 kW three-motor powertrain.
And the order book is filling up. Tesla was named primary supplier this week for ZET SCALE’s 2,500-truck order, backed by Microsoft and PepsiCo, though Kenworth, Volvo, and RIDE are also in that deal.
Electrek’s Take
Nine years after the 2017 unveiling, and six years after the truck was supposed to hit production, the Semi story has been about promises. A row of trucks branded for PepsiCo, DHL, ArcBest, and US Foods says something different: real fleets are buying these things, and some of them are coming back for more.
But let’s keep it in perspective. Analysts expect Tesla to deliver somewhere between 5,000 and 15,000 Semis this year, far below the plant’s 50,000-unit capacity. We think 5,000 would be a great win, and it will likely be below that.
Tonight, we want to hear pricing and current production capacity. How many trucks have been delivered, how fast is the line ramping, and how many of these customers have committed to hundreds rather than a handful? If Tesla answers that, this event is more than a stock pump.
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