Can the Tesla Semi perform? UPS, PepsiCo and other truck fleet owners want to find out

Big freight haulers want some tryout time with Tesla’s new semi-truck.

Orders are trickling in for the sleek vehicle, unveiled in mid-November. On Tuesday, UPS said it wants 125. Last week, PepsiCo ordered 100. Budweiser parent Anheuser-Busch reserved 40. Sysco, the big food distributor wants 50. Wal-Mart ordered 15.

That’s peanuts compared with the 940,000 heavy-duty semi trucks sold around the world each year, 238,000 of them in the U.S. — and the Tesla truck won’t be available until 2019 at least.

But it’s a strong start for a new entry in the semi market. And it proves that major freight operators, intent on cutting costs without degrading service wherever possible , are taking the Tesla Semi seriously.

http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-truck-orders-20171219-story.html