Tesla says Chicago's first 50 Semis are on their way
Tesla's Semi account said on 11 November that 50 trucks are en route to Chicago, a rare delivery figure for a vehicle Tesla does not report in its quarterly numbers.
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Tesla said on 11 November that "Chicago's first 50 Semis" are en route for delivery, in a post on its official Tesla Semi account on X reported by Electrek and Tesla North. The post showed four Semis parked at sunset and did not name a customer.
Who the trucks are probably for
Electrek said the only 50-truck Semi order tied to Chicago belongs to HMD Trucking, a family-owned carrier founded in the city in 1998 that runs more than 650 mostly diesel trucks. HMD took its first Semi on 2 November and says it is the first Tesla Semi registered in Illinois, according to Electrek. HMD owner Henry Malukas has told MotorTrend the 50-truck deal is worth about $15 million, both outlets noted.
Tesla North was more cautious, pointing out that Tesla's post does not identify the buyer, so it does not establish that this shipment is HMD's order. It also described the trucks as en route, meaning the post is a delivery update rather than confirmation that all 50 are in service.
Charging nearby
The announcement came a day after Tesla said it would open six Semi Megacharger stalls in Hodgkins, Illinois, southwest of Chicago, Tesla North reported. Electrek said HMD is also installing its own chargers, since Tesla's Megacharger network is still concentrated in the western US. In summer testing, HMD averaged 1.74 kWh per mile over more than 4,000 miles, close to Tesla's stated 1.7 kWh per mile, Electrek reported.
A rare data point
Tesla does not break out Semi deliveries in its quarterly production and delivery reports, which count passenger vehicles, so a 50-truck batch is one of the few public markers of the ramp. Volume production began at the Nevada Semi factory in September. Electrek said Tesla describes the plant as built for 50,000 trucks a year, while Tesla North said the company's third-quarter update listed installed annual Semi capacity of 25,000 trucks. Either figure is capacity, not output, and Tesla has not published a current production rate.