Walmart has reportedly received a Tesla Semi, as sightings of the electric semi-truck were reported on a California highway over the weekend. Photos of a Walmart-branded Tesla Semi were shared by a user on Saturday, showcasing the vehicle towing a Walmart trailer and featuring branding indicating “Walmart Transportation LLC” on the Tesla cab. This suggests that Walmart has officially taken delivery of the vehicle, marking a significant step as Tesla expands its pilot programs beyond its initial deliveries to PepsiCo in 2022.
Dan Priestley, Tesla Senior Manager of Semi-Truck Engineering, recently expressed gratitude to new clients at Martin Brower, which has also started piloting a Tesla Semi. Walmart has had an ongoing order for hundreds of Semi units from Tesla, and this delivery indicates the beginning of fulfilling that order.
⚡️ WALMART Electric Tesla Semi truck spotted in Stockton, CA! Is this their first test truck from Tesla? From my brother on May 3. @SawyerMerritt @SERobinsonJr @teslaownersSV @TeslaClubSoCal @teslaownersSV @DillonLoomis22 @DMC_Ryan @ryanshawtech @DennisCW_ @BeardedTesla pic.twitter.com/YCLJ6E7E9q
— Accelerating.Tech (@AcceleratingTec) May 4, 2024
The Tesla Semi has shown promising results in early pilot programs at Pepsi, with the vehicle achieving over 1,000 miles in a single day during testing. However, neither Walmart nor Tesla has responded to requests for comment regarding the number of Semi units currently in use.
Tesla has been relatively quiet about the Semi program since its initial delivery of around 20 units to Pepsi in 2022. Tesla Vice President of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy mentioned in December 2023 that the total Semi fleet had nearly reached 100 units. During Tesla’s Q1 earnings call last week, it was stated that more Semi deliveries are expected for late 2025, with external customer deliveries set to begin in 2026.
In January, Tesla broke ground on expansions to its Gigafactory Nevada, which will help increase Semi production along with the production of the 4680 battery cell.
