Tesla Begins Mass Production of Electric Trucks in Nevada

According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the company has begun high-volume production of the electric Semi truck at a new manufacturing facility in Nevada. Tesla plans to produce 50,000 trucks per year.

On Thursday evening, the company officially opened a new factory in Sparks, Nevada. The facility began operations at the end of April and is Tesla's first factory dedicated specifically to Semi production.

According to company executives, PepsiCo and U.S. Foods are among the first customers of the Semi, while DHL is also a major client for the truck.

In a pre-recorded video address at the event, Musk stated that in the future the Semi will also be equipped with Tesla's autonomous driving features. According to him, the waiting list for purchasing the truck is already quite large.

Musk estimates that the Semi is an economically viable solution, since the cost of electricity per mile traveled is lower compared to diesel.

This week, Tesla received an order for 2,500 electric trucks from a coalition of major freight companies that includes Microsoft and PepsiCo, according to data from Catalyst Mobility, a nonprofit organization working in the transportation sector.

The order followed a purchase of 500 Semis by Swedish truck technology company Einride.