Coalition Places Record 2,500-Unit Order for Tesla Semis
ZET SCALE, backed by Microsoft and PepsiCo, selects Tesla as primary OEM for the largest US electric truck order to date.
A coalition of major cargo-owning shippers has placed an order for 2,500 Tesla Semis, marking the largest electric truck order in the US to date. The purchase, driven by the Zero-Emission Truck Shipper-Carrier Alliance Leading Electrification (ZET SCALE), would nearly double the number of electric Class 8 trucks currently on American roads.
What Happened
ZET SCALE, a program jointly operated by nonprofits Catalyst Mobility and the Smart Freight Centre, announced the order as part of its effort to aggregate freight demand at scale. Founding shippers include Microsoft and PepsiCo, while FreightWaves reports the coalition includes at least 15 entities, such as IKEA, Brambles, and Red Bull. The Alliance selected Tesla as its primary OEM after evaluating price, range, charging capability, and production capacity, with Kenworth, RIDE, and Volvo designated as secondary options. ZET Financial, a strategic partner, is issuing the purchase order and will deploy the trucks through a leasing program designed to eliminate residual-value risk for fleet operators.
Why It Matters
The order addresses two primary barriers to electric truck adoption: complex infrastructure requirements and high upfront costs. According to a 2025 report from the International Council on Clean Transportation, the median price of a US battery-electric Class 8 tractor rose 27% between model years 2020 and 2025 to $411,200, compared to $172,500 for diesel equivalents. By aggregating demand, ZET SCALE aims to leverage volume to improve pricing and business cases for manufacturers. Michael Berube, President and CEO of Catalyst Mobility, noted that organizing demand allows manufacturers to price at scale, moving clean trucks beyond the pilot phase. Tesla’s newly inaugurated factory in Sparks, Nevada, is designed to produce 50,000 trucks annually, suggesting capacity exists to meet the order.
The Bottom Line
ZET SCALE’s 2,500-unit order for Tesla Semis represents a significant shift in commercial electric vehicle procurement, utilizing aggregated shipper demand to mitigate cost and infrastructure hurdles. The move signals a potential pathway for scaling electric Class 8 truck adoption in the US, supported by leasing models that address financial risks for fleets.
