Tesla Takes Orders From Retailer, Freight Shipper for Semi

Customers are starting to place orders for Tesla Inc.’s new all-electric Semi, including a grocery chain in the Detroit Three automakers’ backyard.

Meijer Inc. has reserved four Semi trucks for $5,000 deposits apiece, Dan Scherer, a fleet manager for the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based retailer, said after the product’s unveiling Thursday at Tesla’s design studio near Los Angeles. He said the closely held company operates 220 trucks in six states in the Midwest.

“Electric drivetrains are a proven technology,” Scherer said in an interview. “Electricity is cheaper fuel than diesel, and you are less dependent on the spot pricing of fossil fuel.”

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. placed a reservation to buy multiple Tesla Semi tractors, the company said in a statement Friday. The Lowell, Arkansas-based logistics company said it will deploy the trucks on the West Coast.

“Reserving Tesla trucks marks an important step in our efforts to implement industry-changing technology,” said Chief Executive Officer John Roberts. “We believe electric trucks will be most beneficial on local and dray routes, and we look forward to utilizing this new, sustainable technology.”

Tesla shares climbed as much as 4.5 percent Friday and traded up 3.2 percent to $322.39 as of 9:37 a.m. in New York.

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