Commercial, Energy Storage, Industrial  -  November 21, 2017

Walmart, Meijer & more reserve Tesla electric Semis

^{Image courtesy of Tesla via Twitter.} 

A number of companies have begun to place orders for Tesla's recently unveiled all-electric heavy-duty Semi truck, Bloomberg News reported Nov. 17. 

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has reportedly preordered five of the electric trucks — which Tesla CEO Elon Musk introduced at a splashy VIP event near Los Angeles on Nov. 16 — for the U.S. and 10 for Canada, the news agency reported based on an email exchange with Walmart spokesman Kory Lundberg, who noted the company's long history of testing new technologies. 

"We believe we can learn how this technology performs within our supply chain, as well as how it could help us meet some of our long-term sustainability goals, such as lowering emissions," Lundberg was quoted as saying. 

Bloomberg reported: 

While electric passenger cars get all the buzz, the move to electrify big rigs has been moving swiftly under the radar, given their high emissions profiles and hefty fuel costs. Adding autonomous features on top of electrification can also help operators save on labor costs, a major upheaval for a commercial trucking industry that’s gone virtually unchanged for decades.

Additionally, regional retailer Meijer Inc., which operates 220 trucks in six Midwestern states, reportedly reserved four of the Tesla Semi trucks for $5,000 deposits each, and logistics company J.B. Hunt Transportation Services Inc. has ordered several Semi tractors, according to the news agency. 

"Electric drivetrains are a proven technology,” Meijer fleet manager Dan Scherer told Bloomberg. "Electricity is cheaper fuel than diesel, and you are less dependent on the spot pricing of fossil fuel."

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