Currently: Tesla and Semi are the key suppliers for record orders of electric trucks in the U.S.

Image: Tesla

The Tesla Semi (see photo) is arriving late, but apparently not too late. An event this week is likely to mark the start of large-scale deliveries of this electric truck, first introduced in 2017 and previously available only to select test customers. There still seems to be no shortage of demand — on the contrary, Tesla is driving growth in the entire U.S. market for fully electric trucks with the Semi.

Tesla’s Key Supplier for Electric Trucks

This is according to a statement from Calstart, the organization that, along with another nonprofit group called Smart Freight Centre, founded the ZET SCALE alliance—a coalition of major logistics companies. Together, they plan to order 2,500 heavy trucks (Class 8) with purely electric powertrains. Several manufacturers are listed as potential suppliers, but Tesla is expected to be the main supplier with its Semi truck.

Tesla was selected as the primary OEM for the largest electric Class 8 order in the US by ZET SCALE, a new shippers’ alliance

With 2,500 Semis on order, this will double the entire US electric Class 8 fleet

We’re serious about scale, and ZET SCALE is too!… pic.twitter.com/IiTAdzgken

— Tesla Semi (@tesla_semi) September 22, 2026

The combined demand could enable better terms for electric trucks. Price, range, charging speed, and production capacity were taken into account in the bidding process, according to Calstart. On this basis, Tesla was selected as the “primary manufacturer” for the 2,500 units; Kenworth, Ryde, and Volvo are listed as secondary options. The statement does not clarify whether Tesla will supply all of the units on its own, but it is possible, as up to 10,000 electric trucks are planned to be acquired in the long term.

The first order is said to be the largest purchase of heavy electric trucks in U.S. history. According to Calstart, it will nearly double the fleet of such vehicles at once. By aggregating demand on this scale, Zet Scale is creating a market that did not exist before. Ironically, Microsoft is also one of the members—the very company whose founder, Bill Gates, once declared fully electric trucks like the Tesla Semi impossible to realize.

Semi Event in Nevada This Week

The price at which Tesla is currently offering the Semi, and whether the alliance will receive a discount due to the large order volume, remains unknown. At an estimated $250,000 per unit and 1,000 Semis delivered, revenue from this single deal would amount to $250 million. More details may become available later on Thursday, as Tesla has scheduled a “Rollout Event” at its Semi factory in Nevada for that day; the facility is designed to produce 50,000 vehicles per year according to the quarterly report.