Tesla has been racking up pre-orders for its all-electric Semi truck since its debut in mid-November, with Anheuser-Busch being one of the latest corporations and the first brewer to join the fray. Anheuser-Busch has reportedly ordered 40 Tesla Semis, making the second-largest order in the truck’s short history. Food giant Sysco announced its pre-order of 50 Semis shortly after AB.

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James Sembrot, AB’s senior director of logistics, is quoted on insideevs.com as saying, “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.”

Anheuser-Busch will use the Tesla Semis to deliver Budweiser beer from its brewery locations to wholesalers within a 150- to 200-mile range, according to the Wall Street Journal. The Teslas will join AB’s fleet of roughly 750 trucks nationwide, which are owned and operated by third-party companies. It’s unknown whether AB will lease the Tesla Semis, outright buy them, or have its third-party companies purchase the trucks.

AB declined to disclose the reservation price of each truck but admits it placed its order long before the Tesla Semi’s debut in November. At that time, deposits were $5,000. Tesla has since raised the price to $20,000 in a response to demand. The Semi’s full price is expected to range from $150,000 to $200,000 when it finally reaches the market in 2019. So far, Tesla has accumulated an estimated 200 pre-orders for the Semi. Naturally, that number is expected to grow as more companies jump on board.

References

Tesla Semi

Read our full review on the 2019 Tesla Semi.

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