Tesla made strides toward Tesla Semi production last year at a low-volume facility near Gigafactory Nevada. The company then unveiled a small fleet of electric trucks, but stated that the “launch” had been pushed back to 2022 due to battery supply constraints. Musk has now announced on Twitter that Tesla will begin shipping the Tesla Semi with a 500-mile range this year. The term “shipping” implies that Musk is referring to Tesla delivering the electric truck to customers. Since 2017, the company has been taking orders for the truck and has built up a significant backlog. PepsiCo placed one of the largest orders for Tesla Semi after its launch in 2017: 100 electric trucks to add to its fleet. The company intended to use 15 of those trucks in a project to make its Frito-Lay Modesto, California, facility a zero-emission centre. PepsiCo stated that it expected to receive those 15 Tesla Semi trucks by the end of last year before they were delayed again. While PepsiCo didn’t get its Tesla Semi trucks, Tesla did install a megacharger station for the trucks at its Modesto facility, an indication that deliveries are getting closer.
