Tesla confirms 50 more Semi trucks heading to Chicago

Tesla has confirmed that a new batch of 50 Semis is heading to Chicago. It did not name the customer, but HMD Trucking, a family-owned Chicago carrier, is the likely buyer. Tesla does not disclose Semi delivery or production numbers, so this is a rare confirmation.

HMD took its first truck on Nov 2 and says it is the first Semi registered in Illinois. It ordered 50 Semis in September after a Tesla production event. The owner, Henry Malukas, says the deal is worth about $15 million in the US, which implies roughly $300,000 per truck. Earlier reporting put the Long Range Semi at ~$290,000, and Tesla advertised $180,000 back in 2017.

Why this matters beyond trucking

Most readers will never buy a Semi, but the story shows how Tesla's energy and charging claims hold up in real use.

Over the summer a Semi ran more than 4,000 miles for HMD. Its average energy use in that test was 1.74 kWh per mile. Tesla claims 1.7 kWh/mile, so the figures are close. HMD runs 650 trucks, almost all diesel. Even so, Malukas says "we don't have real numbers yet" on the full economics. Michael Mahler, HMD's COO, said Tesla "has been transparent with us regarding the capabilities of Semi every step of the way".

Charging is the constraint

HMD is installing its own chargers because the Tesla Megacharger network is thin in the Midwest. The West holds most Megachargers, and they cluster on the routes that follow I-5 and I-10. That is a useful reminder for car owners too: a vehicle is only as practical as the charging around where you drive. Tesla's Supercharger network is far denser than its truck network, and cold-weather Chicago is a test market for the Semi.

The order book

Semi volume production began at the Sparks, Nevada plant on September 24. The factory is built for 50,000 Semis a year, but the ramp rate is unclear. Other orders give some signal:

• Einride ordered 500 Semis in August.
• WattEV has 370 on order.
• IMC Logistics wants 50 for California.
• The ZET SCALE alliance picked Tesla as its main supplier for 2,500 trucks.

Takeaway

The Semi is still a small-volume product. For car owners the practical lesson is about charging infrastructure, not the truck. If you travel a lot, check the charger coverage on your own routes rather than relying on headline range or network claims.

Credit: original reporting by Electrek.