Tesla unveiled its new fully electric Semi Thursday night, and it didn’t take long for companies to begin putting down deposits for pre-orders. At least eight companies have now confirmed that they have placed $5,000 deposits - or plan to - to be some of the first to receive the new truck when it begins rolling off the assembly line.
Wal-Mart Transportation LLC - Retail giant Walmart, based in Bentonville, Ark., has pre-ordered 15 Teslas to join its current fleet of about 6,000 traditional semis. Five of the electric trucks will be used for testing in the U.S. while the other 10 will be used in Canada, according to the company.
Meijer Companies, Ltd. - Meijer, a midwestern superstore chain based in Walker, Mich., has pre-ordered four Tesla Semis to be tested alongside its current fleet of about 250 diesel trucks. The company has existing ties to Tesla with at least five Meijer stores hosting Superchargers (charging stations for Tesla cars and SUVs).
Loblaw Companies, Ltd. - Canadian grocer Loblaws has placed pre-orders for 25 of the new Semi. The Brampton, Ontario-based company stated earlier this month that its goal is to reduce its carbon footprint 30 percent by 2030. “As part of our recent commitment to electrify our fleet, we have been in discussions with Tesla,” Loblaw tweeted. “We’ve placed an order for a number of trucks and will have them in Canada as soon as they’re available.”
J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. - Transportation logistics company J.B. Hunt, based in Lowell, Ark., has placed pre-orders for multiple Tesla Semis. “We believe electric trucks will be most beneficial on local and dray routes, and we look forward to utilizing this new, sustainable technology,” said John Roberts, president and chief executive officer of J.B. Hunt, in a statement.
Bison Transport, Inc. - Bison Transport, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is ready to test the Semi. “We look forward to getting our hands on these trucks once they become available,” Rob Penner, chief executive officer of Bison, told Trucknews.com at the Tesla reveal event.
NFI Industries, Inc. - Third-party logistics provider NFI, based in Cherry Hill, N.J., has announced intent to add Tesla trucks to its fleet. “Combining Tesla’s innovative technology with the best practices NFI already has in place, I look forward to further advancing NFI’s position as a responsible corporate citizen while making our dedicated and drayage fleets more sustainable,” said Ike Brown, NFI vice chairman and president, in a statement.
Ryder System, Inc. - Miami-based commercial fleet management company Ryder “is in the process of placing its initial order for a fleet of Tesla semi-trucks,” the company told The Wall Street Journal in an email. No further details on the order were provided.
JK Moving & Storage, Inc. - Moving, storage, relocation and logistics company JK Moving Services announced its order for multiple Tesla Semi day cab trucks. "These trucks will lower operating costs and improve the driver experience,” said Charles Kuhn, president and chief executive officer of JK Moving Services. “This means we not only increase savings for our customers, we further our aggressive carbon emissions-reduction goals." The company also announced its intention to purchase sleeper Tesla Semi models once production is confirmed.
