Tesla failing to deliver Semi-trucks on time to PepsiCo, Sysco, UPS, and Walmart

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Tesla Semi delays and customer fallout

  • Early reservation holders report waiting ~7 years without receiving trucks.
  • Large customers (PepsiCo partners, UPS, Walmart Canada, Sysco, Schneider) are shifting purchases to competitors like Daimler’s Freightliner eCascadia and other electric trucks already in service.
  • Some commenters speculate PepsiCo or its investors leaked frustration to pressure Tesla or justify switching suppliers.

Battery constraints and product strategy

  • Article and commenters highlight battery production as Tesla’s main bottleneck.
  • Several suggest Tesla is prioritizing higher-margin or higher–ROI-per-cell products (cars, Powerwalls, Cybertruck) over Semis.
  • Others question the battery-shortage narrative given unsold Tesla cars and Musk’s history of unreliable statements.

Technical viability of electric semis

  • Many argue current battery tech makes long‑haul electric semis impractical: heavy packs, limited range, long charge times, and accelerated degradation under fast‑charge/drive cycles.
  • Several propose near‑term niches: yard tractors (“lot tenders”), short‑haul/regional routes, city delivery, and buses.
  • Alternatives discussed: hybrid diesel–electric trucks (e.g., Edison Motors), hydrogen or ammonia fuels, and overhead catenary truck lanes tested in Europe.
  • Battery swapping is debated: technically promising (noted Chinese adoption) but complex in ownership, degradation, and logistics.

Climate, externalities, and policy

  • One thread dives into social cost of carbon, citing estimates around $185–$223/ton CO₂ and arguing that, properly priced, diesel trucking becomes much less attractive.
  • Others note fuel taxes, but dispute whether revenues actually mitigate environmental damage.
  • Some argue the “right time” for e‑semis is when regulation and externality pricing force change, not when they’re purely cost‑competitive.

Competition, reliability, and use‑cases

  • Commenters point out thousands of electric heavy vehicles already in service (buses, trucks from Volvo, Scania, BYD, Daimler).
  • Freightliner’s eCascadia is cited as shipping now with modest range and ~90‑minute charging, targeting short routes.
  • Several see Tesla’s center‑seat design and other nonstandard choices as form-over-function, disliked by professional drivers.

Musk, execution, and trust

  • Widespread criticism of Musk’s repeated missed timelines (e.g., FSD, Semi volumes).
  • Some investors still defend Tesla’s long‑term impact and past returns; others emphasize leadership distraction (Twitter/X) and the business impact of underdelivering on B2B contracts.