FedEx is the latest major logistics company to lock in an order for Tesla’s forthcoming Semi electric Class 8 trailer trucks. The shipping provider has ordered 20 of the vehicles, according to a press release from FedEx itself, which will go into service in its FedEx Freight department.
The FedEx order is dwarfed by rival UPS’s initial commitment: Big brown laid down reservations for 125 of the Tesla trucks late last year, shortly following the vehicle’s initial unveiling. FedEx Freight CEO Mike Ducker said in a statement that the company’s investment in this initial reservation is part of its overall efforts to reduce its impact on the environment, however, so it seems likely if this works out it could commit to more.
Tesla has a lot of cumulative orders for its Semi, though each only represents a small pilot relative to the size of the business of the companies placing the order. Tesla recently started running actual hauls with its pre-production vehicles for its own use, and is targeting a 2019 initial production date for the al-electric trucks.