A Canadian trucking and logistics company has put money down on 150 Tesla electric Semis in what could be the biggest big rig order yet for the electric vehicle company.
Ontario-based Pride Group Enterprises also has the option to increase its order to 500 Tesla Semis, according to a press release.
“We believe that electrification is the way of the future as we work together across multiple industries to reduce our carbon footprint,” said CEO Sam Johal in the statement.
Johal said Pride is investing in the electric infrastructure for parking, charging and maintenance at all of its locations in both Canada and the U.S., where the company recently opened a second headquarters in Dallas.
The current plan is to allocate the Tesla trucks in states and provinces where there is sufficient infrastructure, Johal said. The units will be deployed across its rental/leasing fleet as well as its asset-based transportation operation.
Canada plus Tesla
Other big-name customers including Pepsi Co. and UPS also have ordered the Tesla electric big rigs, which range in price from $150,000 to $180,000 depending on the range, the electric vehicle company has said.
But Canadian logistics companies appear to have a special fondness for the electric trucks.
News of the Pride order comes a couple of months after Walmart Canada more than tripled its order for Tesla Semi trucks. Walmart Canada is one of the Semi’s first customers, having ordered 15 immediately after Tesla unveiled the heavy-duty truck in 2017.
In an email to FreightWaves, Johal declined to compare U.S. and Canadian electric truck purchasing incentives but said Pride will explore public funding options closer to the delivery dates of the trucks “and once we finalize the regions where the trucks will be domiciled.”
Exactly when the vehicles will be delivered is unclear.
Customers have been waiting on the Tesla Semi for several years, as the production date has been pushed back multiple times.
This summer CEO Elon Musk indicated once again that manufacturing was on track. The Semis will be built jointly at Tesla’s new Nevada Gigafactory and the Texas facility currently under construction.
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