Tesla will open its Sparks, Nevada, Semi factory Thursday as investors seek proof the electric truck can scale. The plant is designed for up to 50,000 trucks a year; its first truck came off the high-volume line in late April, but full ramp-up is still ahead.
On Tuesday, the ZET SCALE shippers’ alliance, whose founding members include Microsoft and PepsiCo, named Tesla primary manufacturer for an order of 2,500 battery-electric Class 8 trucks, according to Catalyst Mobility, one of the program’s two organizers. The order would nearly double the U.S. electric Class 8 fleet; Kenworth, Volvo and RIDE were named secondary suppliers. Tesla Semi program director Dan Priestley said in May the company expects to build “many thousands” of trucks by the end of 2026.
Electrek reports Tesla is quoting customers $290,000 for its 500-mile Long Range Semi, about 60% above the $180,000 Tesla advertised in 2017. The 325-mile Standard Range costs around $260,000, based on California incentive-program data. U.S. diesel averaged $6.53 per gallon that week, up about 74% from a year earlier, according to the Energy Information Administration. Tesla is betting fuel savings can make up the difference; attendees are expected to get a revised comparison of ownership costs with diesel at the event.
