Arguably the leader in supply chain management, Walmart, pulled the trigger on 15 reservations on the Tesla semi.
Less than 24-hours after Tesla’s unveiling event for their Tesla Semi in Hawthrone, California, and Elon’s already racked up at least more than a dozen preorders. According to CNBC in a tweet posted earlier yesterday (Nov 17, 2017) Wal-Mart already put in its order for 15 of the Tesla Tractor Trailers. With a purported range of 500 miles and the ability to mega-charge with 400 miles of range after a 30 min plug-in, Wal Mart is willing to experiment with a potential money and time-saving investment that may pay dividends in the future. Check out some media of the Tesla truck from the unveiling event below.
Tesla unveils all-electric semi truck and the world’s fastest production car. https://t.co/VyYeSU2ske pic.twitter.com/6khdl2LO7m
— NDTV Profit (@NDTVProfitIndia) November 18, 2017
First, let’s quickly go over some of the initial specs of the truck. Two battery packs will be available, a 300 and 500-mile pack. A blast to 60 MPH takes just five seconds and with all that torque at your disposal, a five percent grade at 65 MPH isn’t a problem.
Due to a presumably larger battery pack and different charging requirements, Tesla Semi’s will be charged with a mega-charger with estimates pegging charging output at 10x the charging capacity of a regular Tesla supercharger.
Most importantly, according to EloMusk, Tesla Semi’s will be 20 percent more efficient to operate per mile compared to its equivalent diesel.
That’s the statistic that probably grabbed the attention of Walmart’s logistics fleet manager the most.
Walmart always has been on the cutting edge of logistics in terms of their supply chain, making for one of the most efficient and techologically advanced supply chains out there.
According to Trade Gecko, innovations like Strategic vendor partnerships which enables Wal Mart to get the lowest prices wholesale, Crossdocking as means of eliminating storage needs, and an inventory restocking strategy tied to technology, has made the company into the juggernaut it is today.
This Tesla Semi will be a pilot program at first, if Elon delivers on his promise in the first place.
Then again, this could all be a PR stunt. Elon and his deadlines have been known to be tentative at best.
