Initial deliveries of the Tesla Semi in December 2022 went to PepsiCo.
Tesla handed over its first production Semi trucks at a December 1, 2022, event at Gigafactory Nevada. PepsiCo was the launch customer, deploying the electric Class 8 trucks in its beverage and Frito-Lay snack distribution operations. The first vehicles were associated with PepsiCo facilities in California, where fixed regional routes made it easier to test charging, payload, and daily operating requirements.
The delivery was a major milestone because the Semi had been unveiled as a prototype in November 2017, with production originally expected in 2019. Battery supply and manufacturing constraints delayed the program for several years. Tesla began limited production in October 2022, ahead of the first customer handover.
PepsiCo’s operating experience also highlighted an important distinction between payloads. Snack deliveries could use longer routes because chips are relatively light, while heavily loaded beverage trucks were expected to travel shorter distances. Walmart, DHL, and other companies later tested or ordered Semis, but they were not the initial delivery recipient.