DHL Supply Chain has taken delivery of its first fully electric Tesla Semi truck, marking a new step in the logistics group’s push to decarbonise long-haul freight operations in the United States after completing a multi-year pilot programme.
The pre-production vehicle will now operate from a site in central California following testing in Livermore, where the truck logged more than 5,000 kilometres on regular routes. DHL Supply Chain, the contract logistics arm of DHL Group, placed an order for 10 Tesla Semi trucks in 2017 and is among the earliest commercial customers for the model.
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The electric truck will join DHL Supply Chain’s existing U.S. fleet of around 150 battery-electric Class 8 trucks. According to the company, the Tesla Semi typically covers about 160 kilometres per day, requires charging roughly once a week and can deliver a loaded driving range of up to 800 kilometres.
“During testing, the all-electric truck demonstrated outstanding efficiency, averaging 1.72 kWh per mile while hauling a gross combined weight of 75,000 pounds (34 metric tons) over a 390-mile (625 km) long-haul route,” DHL said in a statement.
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Based on the pilot results, DHL plans to deploy additional Tesla Semi trucks in 2026, once the vehicle enters series production. “Our pilot of the Tesla Semi exceeded expectations, proving its ability to efficiently haul a typical DHL freight over long distances on a single charge,” said Jim Monkmeyer, president of transportation at DHL Supply Chain North America. “Integrating the Tesla Semi into our fleet is an important step toward achieving our decarbonization goals.”
Tesla has faced repeated delays with the Semi programme but said in its third-quarter 2025 financial report that series production is now expected to begin next year. Dan Priestley, director of the Tesla Semi programme, said DHL’s early involvement remains important to the project. “DHL has been a great partner to work with, and we appreciate their early and longstanding support for the Semi program,” Priestley said.