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Tesla set to deliver long-delayed electric-truck to Pepsi
Tesla CEO, Elon Musk confirmed on Thursday that production of Semi truck has begun and the first delivery will happen in December and Pepsi will be the first customer.
Pepsi said in a statement Friday that the trucks will support its Frito-Lay plant in Modesto California, and its Pepsi beverage plant in Sacramento. Neither Musk nor Pepsi said how many trucks would be delivered. Andrea Foote, PepsiCo spokesperson said in a statement, “We are looking forward to this next step in our PepsiCo Positive journey and will provide more details once we have taken delivery.”
Semi was announced in November 2017 with expected production start date in 2019. Many companies registered for the vehicle including Walmart, FedEx, Anheuser-Busch, City Furniture and J.B. Hunt Transport Services.
Elon Musk reiterated Thursday that the Semi will have a range of 500 miles. Electric trucks are well-suited for some routes, but their heavy weight compared to diesel and fuel cell trucks can force businesses to scale back heavy loads.
This news however, did not help Tesla stocks on Friday. Tesla shares fell roughly 5% in trading Friday morning.