BIG RIGS: Tesla’s Newest Electric Vehicle Could Jolt the Trucking Industry.

Cost and range are two of the main reasons that many logistics and delivery firms have been reluctant to buy electric trucks, which cost at least twice as much as diesel models and account for only a sliver of heavy truck sales.

“The problem with the technology that’s out there right now is their range is limited. They’re quite heavy, and they’re very expensive,” said Jennie Abarca, owner of King Fio Trucking in Long Beach, Calif., which has ordered 20 Tesla Semis. “This is something new coming to the market that kind of answers all those problems.”

Demand for the Semi appears strong. California trucking firms have asked the state government for subsidies to help them buy more than 1,200 Tesla trucks. That’s more than all the applications for other electric trucks since the state’s incentive program began in 2019.

Ivan Torres, a driver for Nevoya, a San Francisco-based trucking company, is a big fan of the Semi. He was at the wheel of one last month hauling power tools from the Port of Long Beach to Ontario, Calif., 60 miles away. Nevoya operates only electric trucks.

As the truck climbed a steep hill that separates Ontario from greater Los Angeles, Mr. Torres marveled at its power. “It hauls the load like nothing, just up,” he said from the padded driver’s seat, which sits atop a shock absorber that smooths out the bumps. Screens on either side of the steering wheel provided a view of the traffic around him.

They sound great — so why should Sacramento pay trucking companies to buy them?