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Walmart Says It's Preordered 15 of Tesla' New Semi Trucks (theverge.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the ahead-of-the-curve dept.

Soon after Tesla unveiled its new electric Semi Truck and Roadster 2.0, Walmart says it has preordered 15 of the trucks. The Verge notes that the deal was "likely in the works before Tesla unveiled its new truck to the public." From the report: The pilot is planned for the U.S. and Canada. Five of the preordered vehicles will be for Walmart's U.S. business, and 10 will be for its Canadian routes, the company said. Walmart's fleet has about 6,000 trucks. "We have a long history of testing new technology -- including alternative-fuel trucks -- and we are excited to be among the first to pilot this new heavy-duty electric vehicle," the company said in a statement. "We believe we can learn how this technology performs within our supply chain, as well as how it could help us meet some of our long-term sustainability goals, such as lowering emissions." Musk said the truck would enter production in 2019. JB Hunt Transport Services, a 56-year-old company based in Arkansas, also reserved "multiple" new Tesla trucks as well.

6 of 179 comments (clear)

  1. What is the delivery time frame? by Jzanu · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Walmart has money to burn because they don't actually buy inventory until its sold at the register/cart level. Every other business faces requirement for predictable delivery on capital equipment purchases, largely because it all must be put into use quickly to break even as an option to better than the alternatives.

    1. Re:What is the delivery time frame? by Rei · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Is JB Hunt not a real trucking company?

      And your link is wrong.

      Also: it's not like every company making preorders ends up on Slashdot. Just to pick a couple more: both the grocery store chains Meijer and Loblaw have placed orders.

      Lastly, as for the number of trucks: expecting any given operator to go out and order a thousand of a brand new type of truck for their fleet without doing a trial run first is pure idiocy. The question is what will they think after these trucks have been in their fleets for a couple months. Expect either A) a massive surge in sales that continues into an exponential growth pattern, or B) meagre sales from thereout, only by companies for which their environmental footprint outweighs costs. We probably won't know which way it's going to go until 2020. I fully expect (A), but I'm a Tesla bull and I understand that not everyone is.

      --
      We gotta go to a crappy town where I'm a hero.
  2. Hate Tesla by backslashdot · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Why do so many people hate Tesla? For fucks sake they are trying you gotta give them credit for that. Better than sitting around trolling on slashdot. Anytime they do something, out come the haters hoping they fail. You guys are happy with Ford, GM, and I guess Mack trucks? A Mack truck from 1970 is hardly changed from 2017 ..ok they added a cup holder .. nobody has a problem with that?

    1. Re:Hate Tesla by darthsilun · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Hate Tesla? Or Musk? I dunno about hate. I think the fanbois who are trying to hold him us some kind of real life Tony Stark are silly. As far as I know he's just an idea man and doesn't have any real engineering creds. I don't believe he could build his way out of wet paper bag – he hires people to do that for him.

      He got lucky wrt getting rich and I'm glad he's putting that money to good use.

      I don't think he's winning any brownie points with the way he's dealing with labor issues at the Tesla factory.

  3. Re:Why Hate Tesla by geekmux · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Because they're subsidized out of our wallet.

    Tell me again how the Too-Big-To-Fail competition is still alive today? How quickly we forget about fucking bailouts. This excuse is growing old and tiresome. You may boycott Tesla, but are a shitload of subsidized industries which you probably continue to support every day by buying their products. Start putting your wallet where your mouth is.

    Tax breaks for rich people sit poorly with the working class.

    Not having "gasoline" in your budget and emissions pollution your lungs are breaks Musk is trying to deliver to you and the rest of the planet, along with breaks in your electric costs (solar), and in other tax-funded programs (NASA). By comparison, at least there seems to be a return on my "subsidized" investment.

  4. Re:List of usernames that should be banned by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The following users should be banned from posting...

    Says the user with no visible posting history.