Elon Musk Delivers First Tesla Electric Semi Trucks

PepsiCo makes first run with futuristic high-speed vehicles

Elon Musk delivered the first of Tesla’s long-promised electric semi trucks on Dec. 1 to PepsiCo.

The trucks arrived years later than Musk had initially forecast, but held out promise to make life better for drivers and the environment .

The trucks feature a 500-mile range, which Musk demonstrated with sped up video of a trip from Tesla’s Fremont, Calif. factory to San Diego.

The seat is located in the middle of the cab for better visibility, Musk said.

The company has tested the trucks extensively for reliability and has developed new high-speed chargers to speed up turnaround times.

The first commercial used of the truck was a delivery of Frito Lay products from PepsiCo’s  (PEP) - Get Free Report plant in California’s Central Valley to the Tesla plant in Sparks, Nevada, where the trucks are being made.

“I can’t believe it’s been five years” Musk said launching the event. “Sorry for the delay,” he added.

A video during the demonstration showed one of the trucks driving up California’s Donner Summit on Interstate 80. The truck is shown accelerating past a diesel truck on the upslope. "If you're a truck driver and you want the most badass rig on the road, this is it," Musk said. "This thing has crazy power compared to a diesel."

He said that when being driven without a trailer it's "like an elephant moving like a cheetah."

The event marked a change from Musk's recent focus on Twitter, which he acquired a month ago and which has seen a string of controversies in the weeks since. 

While trucks are a small part of the vehicle market, they contribute 20 percent of vehicle emissions, Musk said.

"This is really going to revolutionize the roads," he added.