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Tesla Semi’s strong demand could expedite the release of the pickup truck
The all-electric Semi truck could very well be the most disruptive vehicle in Tesla’s lineup. Since its unveiling, the Tesla Semi has garnered reservations from some of the United States’ most prominent businesses like FedEx and PepsiCo. During the Q1 2018 earnings call back in May, Elon Musk and CTO JB Straubel noted that the company had received around 2,000 pre-orders for the vehicle.
Some of the trucking market’s veterans remain skeptical of the Semi. A spokesman for Cummins Inc., one of America’s premier engine-makers, recently stated that they do not see all-electric trucks like the Semi being viable alternatives to diesel-powered long-haulers anytime soon. Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum trade group, also expressed doubt on Elon Musk’s claims that the Semi would be cheaper to run and operate than its diesel-powered counterparts.
Regardless of these doubts, Tesla is pushing on with the development of the electric truck, with Elon Musk stating during the Q2 2018 earnings call that the company has made significant improvements to the Semi since it was unveiled last November. The Semi’s customers also appear to be completely on board with their adoption of the all-electric trucks. Earlier this year, it was even announced that some of the Semi’s biggest customers such as PepsiCo and Anheuser-Busch are working with Tesla to develop and install a network of in-house charging stations for the upcoming vehicle. These stations would be spaced close enough to ensure that the trucks would be able to traverse their routes without any range issues.
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- The Tesla Semi spotted in Chicago. [Credit: Rec1pr0city/Twitter]
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- The Tesla Semi spotted in Chicago. [Credit: Rec1pr0city/Twitter]
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- The Tesla Semi spotted in Chicago. [Credit: Rec1pr0city/Twitter]
The Tesla Semi sighted at Chicago’s Rolling Meadows Supercharger. [Credit: Rec1pr0city/Twitter]
Just recently, the Semi visited yet another customer. This time, the all-electric truck traveled to trucking giant J.B. Hunt’s headquarters in Arkansas, where it was showcased to the company’s employees. Just like the truck’s visit to PepsiCo’s Texas facility earlier this year, employees of the trucking company were able to get up close and personal with the vehicle. Social media posts from individuals in attendance during the Semi’s visit show that J.B. Hunt’s employees, contrary to being skeptical of the vehicle, appear to be excited about the electric truck. Tesla critics would find it difficult to dismiss J.B. Hunt’s authority in the trucking industry as well, considering that the company has been in the transport industry for more than 50 years, and that its current fleet is comprised of over 12,000 trucks and 100,000 trailers and containers.
This strong, positive reaction from America’s premier hauling companies bodes well for the Semi. It remains to be known how many reservations Tesla currently has for the vehicle, but there’s a very good chance the pre-order list is significantly longer than 2,000 units today. That said, the anticipation surrounding the Semi might result in the release of one of Tesla’s most highly-anticipated vehicles to be expedited.
Elon Musk was present on Twitter during the weekend, and while interacting with his followers, Musk noted that the electric car company may be able to release the Tesla pickup truck earlier than expected. Initial expectations point to the Tesla Truck being released sometime after the Model Y is unveiled. Considering that the Model Y is expected to be unveiled sometime in 2019, there is a fair chance that the Tesla Truck’s official unveiling would be scheduled for 2020 at the earliest.
Maybe …
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 25, 2018
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Elon Musk did note last year that he is thinking of making the Tesla Truck a smaller version of the Semi. This means that Tesla would likely be carrying over some of the Semi’s elements to the pickup truck. Since the Semi already shares components with the Model 3, such as its powertrain, doors, and air vent design, it seems safe to assume that Tesla is planning on using the Model 3 as a template for the pickup truck as well. This is a strategic move for Tesla, since by the time it starts producing the Semi and the Tesla Truck, everything connected to the Model 3 and its components would likely have been smoothed out by the company.
Thanks to the lessons the company learned from the Model 3, the Semi (as well as the Model Y, which is also expected to be based on the Model 3) might very well see a less troublesome rollout. If Tesla manages to pull this off, it could provide an opportunity for Tesla to bring the pickup truck to market sooner. If that happens, Elon Musk’s tweet about an earlier release for the Tesla Truck could very well prove accurate.
Elon Musk shed two new bits of detail on Starship following its 13th test launch, which was an overwhelming success.
SpaceX launched Starship for the 13th time last Friday after two delays: one on Monday when several Raptor engines did not ignite, and another on Thursday due to unfavorable weather conditions in Starbase, Texas.
The launch was overwhelmingly successful. SpaceX was able to complete a necessary test of the heat shield tiles by increasing the acceleration of Starship from launch throughout the flight; 20 Starlink v3 satellites were released with no issue; the Super Heavy Booster landed safely in the Gulf of America, Ship successfully reignited engines while in space; and it also splashed down without incident in the Indian Ocean.
SpaceX Starship just nailed something it’s never done before
Nevertheless, more details are coming out about Starship, and Musk is doing the talking.
Starship Will Be Retrieved in the Ocean
Musk revealed on Tuesday night that Starship would be recovered by a ship in the Indian Ocean. SpaceX routinely tries to recover Starship after splashdown in an effort to find out more about the flight by examining the spacecraft afterward.
We’re sending a ship out to recover Starship https://t.co/fUqUZTITO9
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 28, 2026
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This helps engineers find out more about why things might have happened, allows them to examine any potential damage or anomalies that might have occurred, and increases the chances of an even more successful flight next time thanks to the additional information recovered.
Ship Could Have Been Caught by Tower Arms, Musk claims
Musk has already indicated that SpaceX will plan to attempt a catch of Starship with the 14th test flight. While this would be a major accomplishment, it would be an expected next step, considering the fact that the Super Heavy Booster has already been caught by the chopsticks on numerous occasions.
The ship landing was precise, meaning that it would have been caught by the tower arms https://t.co/6nbNrRfX9P
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2026
A ship catch would be a great indication of where SpaceX stands in terms of reusability and launch cadence. A successful catch with relatively no incidents would be a good sign that SpaceX is nearing a more frequent launch of Starship, but also that the reusability of the massive rocket would be something many would expect in the near future.
It is a necessity to make life multiplanetary.
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Elon Musk has updated his timeline for when humans will walk on Mars and for when ships will simply get there.
The objective of getting to Mars has been one of Musk’s biggest goals since becoming a serial entrepreneur and realizing that time on Earth is limited. Musk has said several times he hopes to die on Mars, and not by impact.
Musk now believes that people will be on Mars in “roughly 5 to 7 years.” He said that a Mars lander will get there “a few years sooner.”
People on Mars in roughly 5 to 7 years.
Mars lander a few years sooner.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2026
The response from Musk comes after NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said that SpaceX’s biggest priority is the Moon and not Mars. Because of this, Isaacman conceded that he believes nuclear power and propulsion investments will provide “potentially the pathway with the fewest miracles required to put four people on Mars in the next 10 to 15 years.”
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Of course, this is what NASA can do through taxpayer funding and nuclear investments, he added.
Musk’s grand ambitions are much more optimistic than most, and it is certainly a double-edged sword. This is not the first time timelines for Mars have been somewhat lofty, especially to those normal thinkers like you and me, not super geniuses like Musk.
In fact, the SpaceX and Tesla frontman has said on at least a dozen occasions that we could be on Mars in the coming years. Musk said 2020 would be the big year as early as 2009. In 2020, he was “highly confident” of a landing in 2026, and had even said 2024 in a best-case scenario.
The point is, the range has varied, and it’s anyone’s guess when we’ll get there. This latest adjustment to the timeline is typical of Musk, and while the Moon has seemingly taken priority over Mars, it is still worth mentioning that the ultimate goal is to make life multiplanetary, and it starts potentially with the Red Planet.
SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) got an absolutely crazy price target rating from Raymond James after the company experienced a tough first few weeks following its Initial Public Offering (IPO).
Despite the tumultuous start, SpaceX has plenty of believers, and the company’s massively successful Starship launch last Friday, its 13th test flight of the massive rocket, went so smoothly that Raymond James analysts pushed its price target on the company to roughly 7 times its current trading level.
SpaceX Starship just nailed something it’s never done before
The firm officially put a “Strong Buy” rating and an $800 price target on the stock. It currently trades at around $113. Its all-time high is $225.64, reaching this trading level shortly after shares first went public.
Raymond James’ price target is tied to the firm’s confidence after Starship’s 13th test flight. Analysts at the firm said it was an incremental step that reduces engineering risks, citing the widely successful heat shield test that CEO Elon Musk recently detailed, the smooth deployment of Starlink V3 satellites, and a successful in-space engine relight.
SpaceX also managed to see Starship splash down safely in the Indian Ocean, while the Super Heavy Booster fell down to the Gulf of America with no incidents.
It is interesting to see these launches have such a tremendous impact on the stock and what investors think of it. After SpaceX initially delayed the Starship launch last week, shares fell tremendously. Most probably did not realize that the stand-down is a standard practice, especially if everything is not perfect.
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The mission was initially aborted due to an issue with Raptor engines. This was resolved, and Starship launched last Friday after another delay on Thursday, which was caused by weather.
Now that analysts have seen what SpaceX launches are capable of and how impressive the feat is, firms are adjusting their price targets accordingly, making it known that they have high expectations for the space exploration company.
Elon Musk sheds two new bits of detail on Starship after 13th test launch
Elon Musk updates the SpaceX timeline for Mars
