Tesla Scores Deal To Help Double The US Electric Semi-Truck Fleet

Tesla announced its electric semi-truck back in 2017, but deliveries to its first customers are just about to start nearly a decade later in September 2026. On September 24th, Tesla held a launch event for the Semi at its manufacturing plant in Nevada, where it plans to build 50,000 Semis a year. It may seem like a lofty goal, but Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a pre-recorded video message that there is already a big waiting list for the Semi. At $290,000 for a Long Range Semi, it's predicted that Tesla will deliver 15,000 in 2026 at most. 

One of those early customers includes Zero-Emission Truck Shipper-Carrier Alliance Leading Electrification (ZET SCALE), a shipper alliance with brands like Microsoft and PepsiCo that reportedly ordered 2,500 of the electric semis — the largest electric Class 8 order ever made in the U.S. Tesla's announcement made it sound as if it was providing all 2,500 of the trucks, but it's just the primary supplier along with other brands. The fleet of 2,500 electric trucks will be deployed in Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, New York, Atlanta, and other freight hubs over the next few years. 

Said Dan Priestley, Director for the Tesla Semi Program: "We are proud to have been the primary selection in this RFP and look forward to giving shippers and carriers a new competitive edge." 

The Semi has a pretty typical history, as far as Tesla goes. Musk announced the vehicle in 2017 and had lofty goals of launching it in 2019, claiming it would be cheap to operate, carry a full load, and reach 500 miles on a single charge. At the time, experts responded that this was nearly impossible to pull off due to technology limitations. Tesla continued to miss various launch dates, eventually shipping some early examples to PepsiCo in 2022. Next year's launch date was also missed, although brands like Walmart, Costco, and the NFL were given one Semi to test. Those have now been used for over 5 million miles. 

If that timeline sounds familiar, it's likely because the second-generation Roadster was announced in 2017, delayed multiple times, and is finally getting a reveal October 2026. The Cybercab was revealed in 2024, Musk claimed 2 million would be produced a year, and as of 2026, there are only 69 active Cybercabs besting tested in a few cities. 

"This is going to be a revolutionary truck that's capable of carrying the heaviest loads over very far distances," Musk stated ahead of the launch event. He also added that it will be the "funnest truck to drive" due to its fast acceleration, which echoes previous statements, noting it will get Full Self-Driving in the future. There will be a Standard Range Semi that has 350 miles and a Long Range that gets 500 miles. 

These are also claims that drivers should remain skeptical about. The Cybertruck was originally said to have a 500-mile range when it was revealed, but the reality is less than 300 miles. No comment on Musk's claim that the Cybertruck could act as a boat.