Saia has deployed a pair of Tesla Semi electric trucks in California, a spokesperson told Trucking Dive in an email Thursday.
The 100-year-old LTL carrier was an early tester of the EV trucks, which the company praised for their ability to handle local and longer haul applications “while still delivering notable power and efficiency” in a news release last month.
The trucks have achieved 1.73 kilowatt hours per mile during a demonstration last year, the company said.
“Our partnership with Tesla underscores our dedication to evolution while staying true to the values that have guided us for the past century,” EVP of Operations Patrick Sugar said in the release.
Drivers were impressed with the trucks’ smooth acceleration, comfortable design and ability to maintain speeds on steep inclines, even while hauling heavy payloads, Sugar said.
“This feedback underscores the enormous potential of the Tesla Semi,” the EVP said.
The Tesla Semis are the first to be deployed in Saia’s fleet, according to the company. The Saia spokesperson said more could be added but didn’t provide further details when asked how many it had ordered.
PepsiCo more than tripled the size of its electric trucking fleet in California with the delivery of 50 Tesla Semis and 75 Ford E-Transit electric vans, the beverage giant announced last year.
But the trucks have also encountered challenges. Firefighters used 50,000 gallons of water to extinguish a blaze that occurred after a Tesla employee-operated Semi crashed in August, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The driver was uninjured, and the crash is under investigation.
