Anheuser-Busch Inbev SA/NV is tapping Tesla Inc. for 40 of the electric vehicle-maker's recently unveiled all-electric, heavy-duty commercial truck, known as Tesla Semi, the brewer announced Dec. 7. That same day, food distributor Sysco Corp. said it has reserved 50. The two largest known orders for the highly touted Class 8 e-truck, scheduled for production in 2019, come on top of prior orders from DHL Supply Chain, Loblaw Companies Ltd, Titanium Transportation Group Inc., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and others.
Tesla unveiled its e-truck Nov. 16 amid great fanfare. Source: Tesla Inc. |
Since Tesla began taking reservations in mid-November, the total order volume is estimated in the hundreds of trucks, although a Tesla spokeswoman declined to confirm the exact number. The integrated electric vehicle, energy storage and solar power company lists a base reservation price of $20,000 and a price of $150,000 to $180,000 for trucks with ranges of 300 miles and 500 miles, respectively, on a single charge. A "founders series" truck is advertised at $200,000.
Despite the early enthusiasm among fleet operators, some analysts are wary of CEO Elon Musk's claims about Tesla Semi's debut as the fastest, safest, most comfortable and lowest-cost heavy-duty truck ever. "I would certainly approach it with skepticism," Navigant Research analyst Lisa Jerram said in an interview. "There is a reason why it's tough to push diesel off its pedestal. Electric trucks are still more expensive up front. That's just reality and that's a challenge for the days to come."
Major advances in lithium-ion battery technology are still required, Jerram added, to bring down costs and improve performance to the point where Tesla and other aspiring e-truck suppliers, including BYD Co. Ltd., Cummins Inc. and Daimler AG subsidiary Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp., can compete with conventional diesel. "We still need to see improvements that will bring down the cost of battery packs. That's the biggest contributor to the cost of electric trucks."
Tesla has declined to discuss the cost and size of the battery system in the Tesla Semi, which some analysts have estimated from 1 MWh to more than 3 MWh. If Tesla and other electric truck suppliers can validate their claims on cost and performance with large fleet demonstrations, other fleets are sure to follow with more orders. The electric truck segment should benefit from recent progress in electric buses, Jerram said.

Global sales of hybrid and all-electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks are on pace to grow at an annual rate of nearly 25% through 2027, with volumes rising to 1.66 million from 125,500 in 2017, Navigant said in a report released Nov. 29. That would give hybrids and all-electric trucks a 7% share of the overall market, up from roughly 1% this year, as diesel continues to dominate.

