WattEV Transport Takes Delivery of First Two Tesla Semis
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WattEV Transport took delivery of two Tesla Semis in February and plans to add another 40 to its truck-as-a-service (TaaS) fleet by the end of 2026.
The Semis will be available for drayage use at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, the first time the Class 8 battery-electric truck has been used at the largest port complex in the U.S., the division of charging infrastructure specialist WattEV Inc. said Feb. 19.
“We’re glad to see Tesla Semis deployed at Port of Long Beach,” said Mario Cordero, CEO of the Port of Long Beach. “This is another step forward towards increased adoption and our commitment to elimination of heavy-duty freight emissions at the port.”
WattEV plans to include Tesla Gen-IV chargers at its depots.
“We’ve been future-proofing all our charging depots to allow for the transition from [combined charging system] charging to megawatt charging with MCS,” said WattEV CEO Salim Youssefzadeh. “Our collaboration with Tesla is another major milestone as we expand our network to electrify freight on more routes throughout California and beyond.”
“[The] Semi is the only truck in the market that can deliver 500 miles on a single charge, with superb energy efficiency and fast charging,” Youssefzadeh added in a statement. (Tesla)
Last May, Youssefzadeh issued a challenge to Class 8 truck makers, promising to place an order plus deposit for 1,000 Class 8 trucks with any manufacturer if the rigs were ready by 2026 and came with megawatt charging system (MCS) capabilities.
Tesla is the only original equipment manufacturer to commit to MCS and a WattEV spokesman said it had inked only an initial order so far.
“WattEV Transport’s current all-electric truck count stands at 55, counting the two new Tesla Semis. We have aligned our truck deliveries with customer demand for their use and expect to continue to expand the fleet throughout 2025. All of the Nikolas (we have 34 total) are a hard-working part of the fleet,” Youssefzadeh told Transport Topics in an email.
In May, WattEV said it would be increasing its current fleet of 36 battery-electric trucks to more than 180 by 2025.
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Nikola, which filed for bankruptcy protection earlier in February, said in January that WattEV bought 22 battery-electric trucks.
WattEV Transport’s Tesla tractors, meanwhile, are pre-production models.
Tesla completed construction of the walls and roof at its forthcoming Reno, Nev., factory in January.
A previously announced timeline for production of the Semi — with the first tractors expected to be built by the end of the year and manufacturing ramping up in 2026 — remains on schedule, Vice President of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy said Jan. 29.
The world’s most valuable automaker by market capitalization previously said Semi production capacity in Reno would be 50,000 tractors per year.
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Youssefzadeh is excited by the latest additions to the company’s TaaS fleet. “We’ve been keeping this quiet for a while. These trucks perform!” he noted in a social media post.
“[The] Semi is the only truck in the market that can deliver 500 miles on a single charge, with superb energy efficiency and fast charging,” he added in a statement alongside the announcement.
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