Anheuser Busch has placed an order for 40 Semis , Tesla's recently-revealed electric, autonomous long hauler. This is one of the largest reported pre-orders for the revolutionary truck. Tesla is currently taking reservations with a $20,000 deposit per truck for a “base reservation” of the production version and the full $200,000 for the “Founders Series” truck.
The Tesla Semi with a claimed 500-mi range (805 km) will be available at a base price of $180,000. It provides about $200,000 in fuel savings and a two-year pay-back period, according to the company’s website. Tesla also claims that four independent motors provide maximum power with the ability to accelerate like a sports car from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in five seconds when empty.
Anheuser Busch intends to include the electric trucks in its distribution network as part of its commitment to reduce its operational carbon footprint by 30 percent by 2025, which is the equivalent of 500,000 cars each year.
“At Anheuser-Busch, we are constantly seeking new ways to make our supply chain more sustainable, efficient, and innovative. This investment in Tesla semi-trucks helps us achieve these goals while improving road safety and lowering our environmental impact,” James Sembrot, Senior Director of Logistics Strategy at Anheuser Busch InBev said.
In October 2016 the company already conducted test runs with Otto, the self-driving truck subsidiary of Uber. At that time for the first time ever a self-driving truck delivered 45,000 cans of Budweiser beer from Fort Collins, Colorado, to Colorado Springs over a distance of 120 highway miles (193 km). (inside.beer, 26.10.2016)
Another project of Anheuser Busch involves hydrogen-powered trucks from Nikola Motors that are boldly claimed to offer a 800 to 1,200-mi range (1,287 to 1,931 km).
