First order from outside North America emerges from Italian intermodal firm
After a brief lull, more Tesla Semi orders have been reported, including one from Italy.
Bolzano-headquartered transport and logistics company Fercam has ordered a test unit through its US partner Mid-America Overseas (MAO), due to constraints on foreign purchases.
“Technological innovation is surely our best ally for dealing with environmental issues; we’ve been waiting for this electric truck for us for a long time. It is the ideal combination with our intermodal services,” transport news service Transporto Europa quotes Fercam MD Hannes Baumgartner as saying.
Baumgartner, who cites environmental imperatives for attraction, adds the firm is also interested in electric vehicles from Daimler and Sweden’s Einride.
Closer to home, Washington state fleet-owner JK Moving Services has used social media to link, without comment, to a state publication Washington Business Journal’s report that it has ordered four day-cab units and five line-haul units if they come to production.
JK Moving founder and president Chuck Kuhn is reported as saying two will go to JK’s residential moving division and the other two its commercial logistics division.
Kuhn is said to have been particularly impressed with the factory tour, along with the Semi’s attributes, including 500 mile (800km) range, haul capacity, turning radius and IT.
Possibly more importantly in exposure and comparison terms, top-three truck rental and fleet management company Ryder Systems, “is in the process of placing its initial order for a fleet of Tesla semi-trucks”, the Wall Street Journal quotes Ryder president of global fleet management solutions Dennis Cooke as saying.
Ryder is a serial investor in electric commercial vehicles, having signed a deal for 125 medium-duty vans early this month, partnered with drone and battery-electric vehicle maker Workhorse Group in May and been linked with Nikola Motor Company last December.