Tesla’s autonomous Semi-tractor trailer program is advancing, with units being spotted being tested on the grounds of Frito Lay’s factory in Modesto California. Employees of Frito Lay say they have been told that it is “coming soon.”
Frito Lay had been scheduled to receive the first 15 units from Tesla in late 2021. Tesla had begun manufacture at its Gigafactory in Nevada. However due to parts shortages and market conditions, Elon Musk said Tesla was pausing releases of new products until after 2022, to focus on the manufacture of its existing products, the Model 3 and the Model Y.
PepsiCo has ordered 100 units, and is waiting on delivery. It had purchased them, as well as additional Tesla solar and battery products as part of a broader push to drive down the company’s day to day carbon emissions.
Meanwhile it appears Frito Lay is already preparing to incorporate the new Tesla semis into its fleet. An unidentified employee has revealed that the Tesla semi has been in testing around Frito Lay’s factory for over a week now, and other employees have said it is coming soon.
Reportedly Frito Lay was also testing the Tesla Megacharger, a special charging platform designed especially for the Class 8 truck. Frito Lay now has four Megachargers installed at their facility, one more than had been there in January.
The Tesla semi was also spotted twice in other test drives on Public roads, however that has been ongoing for several years now as the company runs shakedowns on the new design to see if there are any unforeseen issues with it.