By Oyintari Ben
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Inc (TSLA.O), handed the firm’s first heavy-duty semi on Thursday to PepsiCo (PEP.O), but he made no new predictions about the cost or schedule for manufacture of the vehicle.
The battery-powered, long-haul truck would reduce highway emissions, outperform current diesel models in terms of power and safety, and spin off a fast-charging technology Tesla would use in its upcoming Cybertruck pickup, according to Musk, who made an appearance on stage at an event at Tesla’s Nevada facility.
The Semi’s price was not disclosed by Tesla during the ceremony on Thursday, nor did it share information on the truck’s variants that it had earlier anticipated, nor did it provide a forecast for delivery to PepsiCo or other clients.
Tesla announced that it would start using the Semi to transport parts to its Fremont, California, plant.
Tesla had previously stated that the Semi’s 300-mile range version would cost $150,000, and the 500-mile version would cost $180,000, but costs for Tesla’s passenger electric vehicles have subsequently shot up significantly.
PepsiCo ordered 100 trucks in 2017, and used them for their first cargo run.
Other businesses that had reserved the Semi included Walmart Inc. (WMT.N), Brewer Anheuser-Busch (ABI.BR), and United Parcel Service Inc.
