Offering validity to centuries of arguments proclaiming the positive effects of beer consumption, Tesla recently received an order from Anheuser-Busch for 40 of their recently unveiled electric semi trucks.
Although Tesla is pretty tight-lipped about pre-order data, A-B’s intent to buy is believed to represent nearly one-third of total orders to date for the electric semi.
The move offers two primary benefits for the beermaker.
First, the brewer of Budweiser and Bud Light feels these vehicles will be a key step in realizing goals of reducing its operational carbon footprint by 30 percent by 2025. This is the equivalent of removing nearly a half-million cars from the road.
Second, by saving on fuel, the Tesla Semi could cut operational cost-per-mile amounts in half. Although the maximum range of the electric semi is about 500 miles, the majority of A-B’s product transport is from the brewery to a distributor, which fits within this distance.
The vehicles’ autonomous convoy mode should could also help improve safety, reducing accidents and improving delivery times. Human drivers will remain on all vehicles to help load and unload that precious cargo.
Anheuser-Busch also has on-going partnerships with Otto and Uber for driverless trucks and with hydrogen truck start-up Nikola.
For Tesla, this not only brings a well-known name into the fold, but offers a tremendous opportunity to grow within A-B’s 750-truck fleet. The company has also received pre-orders of 15 semis from Walmart and 40 from trucking company J.B. Hunt.
Production of the $180,000 trucks is scheduled to begin in 2019.
