Connect with us

News

PepsiCo shares photo of freshly delivered Tesla Semi truck units

Tesla Semi Trucks Will Operate Out of Fresno Facility and E-Transit Vans Will Serve Customers Across California. (Credit: PepsiCo)

Published

on

PepsiCo recently shared an image showing its new Tesla Semi units. The vehicles will be operating from PepsiCo Beverages North America’s (PBNA) Fresno, California location, and they will be serving customers across the state. 

As noted by PepsiCo in a press release, it would be receiving 50 units of the Tesla Semi over the next several months. The deliveries of the new Tesla Semi units for PepsiCo’s fleet was initially mentioned by Tesla Semi program Senior Manager Dan Priestley at the ACT Expo clean transportation conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. During his talk, Priestley noted that deliveries of PepsiCo’s new Tesla Semi units have already started

As can be seen in PepsiCo’s press release, Tesla appears to have delivered five new Semi units to the company. Interestingly enough, the new Tesla Semi units are painted white, unlike the blue PepsiCo trucks that were part of the company’s initial fleet. The Tesla Semi units are supported by eight 750-kW Megachargers that have been installed at the PBNA Fresno, California location. Two Megapack batteries have also been set up at the facility.

Tesla Semi Trucks Will Operate Out of Fresno Facility and E-Transit Vans Will Serve Customers Across California. (Credit: PepsiCo)

John Dean, President for PepsiCo Beverages North America, West Division, noted that the electrification of the company’s fleet of vehicles is a pivotal part of its sustainability efforts. “Our fleet electrification is an important part of our pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) strategy and illustrates how sustainability is a core business strategy at PepsiCo— good for the planet, good for our business, and good for the communities we serve,” he noted. 

PepsiCo Beverages North America’s Fresno, California location is a 170,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that distributes popular drinks such as Pepsi, STARRY, Gatorade, Rockstar, and Aquafina, among others. Needless to say, the new Tesla Semi units that were recently delivered to PepsiCo will be transporting heavy loads in their day-to-day operations. This should help debunk the idea that the Tesla Semi is only being used by PepsiCo to transport chips from Frito-Lay, which are light loads. 

Advertisement

Dan Priestley clarified the Tesla Semi’s capability to transport heavy loads in his recent talk at the ACT Expo as well. “Just to be clear, I think there’s actually a mild misunderstanding about how PepsiCo has used their trucks. It’s sometimes characterized that they’re hauling chips, but in fact, it’s actually the PepsiCo division that have more trucks hauling beverages on a regular basis,” Priestley stated. 

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

Advertisement
Comments

Elon Musk

Tesla China posts strong February wholesale growth at Gigafactory Shanghai

The update was shared by Tesla observers on social media platform X, citing monthly China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data.

Published

on

Credit: Grace Tao/Weibo

Tesla China sold 58,599 vehicles wholesale in February, reflecting strong year-over-year growth. The figure includes both domestic deliveries in China and vehicles exported to international markets.

The update was shared by Tesla observers on social media platform X, citing monthly China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data.

Tesla’s February wholesale result represents a 91% increase year over year, compared with 30,688 vehicles in February 2025. Month over month, the result was down 15.2% from January, when Tesla China recorded 69,129 wholesale units.

The February total reflects combined sales of the Model 3 and Model Y produced at Gigafactory Shanghai. The facility produces the two vehicles for both domestic sales and exports.

Advertisement

Gigafactory Shanghai continues to serve as Tesla’s primary vehicle export hub, supplying vehicles to markets across Asia and Europe. Data compiled by Tesla watchers shows that 18,485 vehicles were sold domestically in China in January 2026, while exports accounted for 50,644 units during the same period.

Tesla has also been extending financing programs in China as it pushes to strengthen domestic demand. The company recently extended its seven-year ultra-low-interest and five-year interest-free financing programs through March 31, marking the second extension of the promotion this year.

The financing initiative was first introduced on January 6 as a strategy aimed at offsetting higher ownership costs ahead of China’s planned 5% NEV purchase tax in 2026. The promotion was originally scheduled to expire at the end of January before being extended to February and then again through the end of the first quarter.

Tesla’s efforts come amid growing competition in China’s EV market. According to data compiled by CNEV Post, Tesla’s 2025 retail sales in China reached 625,698 vehicles, representing a 4.78% year-over-year decline. Part of that decline was linked to the Model Y changeover to its updated variant in early 2025, which temporarily reduced deliveries during the transition period.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

Tesla Model Y L spotted on transport trucks in Australia

One of the sightings was reported along Victoria Parade in Melbourne, and it showed multiple Model Y L vehicles on a transport carrier. 

Published

on

Tesla’s upcoming Model Y L has been spotted on transport trucks in Australia. Sightings of the six-seat extended wheelbase Model Y variant have been reported on social media platform X by members of the Australian Tesla community.

One of the sightings was reported along Victoria Parade in Melbourne, and it showed multiple Model Y L vehicles on a transport carrier. 

The sighting follows earlier observations by Tesla enthusiasts in Sydney, where a covered vehicle believed to be a Model Y L was spotted at a Supercharger.

The Sydney sighting drew attention after observers noted that the vehicle’s tare weight appeared to match the ADR approval listing for the Model Y L, suggesting it could indeed be the extended wheelbase variant of the electric SUV.

Advertisement

Tesla has previously confirmed that the Model Y L will launch in Australia and New Zealand in 2026. The confirmation was reported by techAU following a media release from Tesla Australia and New Zealand.

The Model Y L expands the existing Model Y lineup with seating for six passengers. The vehicle features a longer body compared with the standard Model Y in order to accommodate a spacious second and third row.

Tesla has opted for a 2-2-2 seating configuration instead of a traditional seven-seat layout for the Model Y L. The design includes two individual seats in the middle row to provide easier access to the third row and additional passenger space.

Tesla Australia and New Zealand has also stated that the Model Y L will be covered under the company’s updated warranty structure beginning in 2026.

Advertisement

Tesla has not yet announced pricing or official range figures for the Model Y L in Australia.

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Elon Musk shares timeframe for X Money early public access rollout

X Money is expected to enable financial transactions within the app, expanding the platform’s capabilities beyond social media features.

Published

on

Credit: UK Government, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Elon Musk has stated that X Money, the digital payments system being developed for social media platform X, is expected to enter early public access next month. 

The update was shared by Musk in a post on X. “𝕏 Money early public access will launch next month,” Musk wrote in his post.

As noted in a Reuters report, X Money is being developed as a digital payment service that’s directly integrated into the X platform. 

The system is expected to enable financial transactions within the app, expanding the platform’s capabilities beyond social media features.

Advertisement

Musk has previously discussed plans to introduce payments and financial services as part of X’s broader development.

Since acquiring the platform in 2022, Musk has discussed expanding X to include a range of services such as messaging, media, and financial tools.

Elon Musk has shared his goal of transforming X into an “everything app.” During a previous podcast interview with members of the Tesla community, Musk mused about turning X into something similar to China’s WeChat, which allows users to shop, pay, communicate, and perform a variety of other tasks.

“In China, you do everything in WeChat… it’s kickass… Outside of China, there’s nothing like it, people live on one app. My idea would be like how about if we just copy WeChat,” Musk joked at the time.

Advertisement

To prepare for the rollout of X Money, X has partnered with payment company Visa to support the development of payment services for the platform’s users. The move could allow X to tap into the growing demand for digital and in-app financial transactions as the company builds additional services around its existing user base.

Continue Reading