Yesterday, multinational courier service company Fedex Corporation (NYSE:FDX) announced that it has reserved 20 of Tesla’s (Nasdaq:TSLA) fully electric semi trucks.
The Class 8 trucks, which are set to begin production in 2019, will be operated by Fedex Freight, the company’s less-than-truckload unit which carries smaller cargo, under approximately 150 pounds.
According to Tesla, the semi truck, which was unveiled in November 2017, is said to be the safest and most comfortable truck.
They will feature an Enhanced Autopilot that will help prevent collisions and surround cameras and onboard sensors that will help with detecting objects. The truck will also be able to accelerate from 0-100 km/h with 36,000 kg in 25 seconds and will use less than less than 125 kWh per 100 kilometers.
The cost of running the electric semi truck is said to be half of what it costs to run on diesel. The expected base price of one of Tesla’s trucks is $190,000 USD for the 475 km range truck, and $230,000 USD for the 800 km range
FedEx Freight president and CEO, Mike Ducker, has said that the company “has a long history of innovation and incorporating sustainability efforts throughout its global network,” and the reservation of Tesla’s trucks “is part of [their] commitment to improving road safety while also reducing [their] environmental impact.”
According to Fedex, the company has been able to save more than 158 million gallons of fuel since 2008 by replacing vehicles with more efficient models and making use of electric vehicles, hybrids, natural gas, and clean truck technologies.
Other companies that have reserved Tesla’s semi trucks are PepsiCo, Inc. (Nasdaq:PEP), UPS (NYSE:UPS), and Anheuser-Busch (NYSE:BUD) – the brewing company behind Budweiser.
A few of the semi trucks have been spotted on the road several times since the start of the year.
Featured Image: twitter
