It’s been a long wait, but it appears that Tesla Semis will soon be hitting the highways in substantial numbers. The largest order to date comes from WattEV, a California-based Trucking-as-a-Service (TaaS) company, which is buying 370 units. The company expects the first 50 trucks to enter service in 2026, and the full fleet to be in operation by the end of 2027.

WattEV says its vertically integrated model, which includes trucks, megawatt-scale charging and leasing, lowers EV adoption barriers for carriers by reducing upfront capital costs.

Some 300 of the Tesla Semis will be deployed at the Port of Oakland, where WattEV is planning to launch new MCS-capable charging sites. Early deployments will also take place at the Port of Oakland and in Fresno. Additional depots at Stockton and Sacramento are in the planning stages.

WattEV currently operates 75 trucks across Southern California, on drayage and middle-mile routes, and six depots, at the Port of Long Beach, San Bernardino, Gardena, Bakersfield, Vernon and Oxnard. The company says 15 more locations are currently under development.

WattEV CEO Salim Youssefzadeh said his company selected the Tesla Semi following a competitive RFP process. Cost, performance and availability were the factors that helped Tesla to beat out its legacy OEM rivals.

“We expect diesel fuel costs will continue to be a decisive factor in fleet procurement decisions,” Youssefzadeh said. “Our electrified freight solutions allow us to deliver goods at better economics compared to diesel today, and as energy costs diverge further, the economic case only strengthens.”

Source: Clean Trucking