Tesla Primary OEM for Record 2,500 Electric Class 8 Truck Order

US freight electrification just got a headline-sized purchase order—with an important asterisk. On September 22, 2026, Catalyst Mobility and Smart Freight Centre’s ZET SCALE alliance announced a 2,500 battery-electric Class 8 truck order that would nearly double the US electric Class 8 fleet. Tesla was selected as the primary OEM after an RFP scored on price, range, charging, and capacity. Electrek covered the deal—and warned that “2,500 Semis” framing overstates exclusivity.

Primary OEM ≠ every truck is a Semi

Critical detail: the 2,500 figure covers multi-OEM Class 8 battery-electric trucks. Tesla is the primary OEM; Kenworth, Volvo, and RIDE are secondary options. Electrek’s reporting is clear that treating the whole order as confirmed Tesla Semis is wrong. Shippers and fleets will still allocate volume across the shortlist based on duty cycle, charging sites, and delivery capacity—not a blank check for one badge.

• Order size: 2,500 battery-electric Class 8 trucks
• Primary OEM: Tesla
• Secondary options: Kenworth, Volvo, RIDE
• Scale: would nearly double the US electric Class 8 fleet
• Founding shippers: include Microsoft and PepsiCo
• Finance: ZET Financial leases cover residual risk across 10 freight hubs

How the alliance is structured

ZET SCALE sits under Catalyst Mobility and Smart Freight Centre’s zero-emission freight push. The RFP scored vendors on price, range, charging, and manufacturing capacity—the practical filters fleets actually care about when a tractor has to earn its keep on real corridors. Founding shippers include Microsoft and PepsiCo, which helps explain why this order has corporate freight gravity rather than pure demo-fleet vibes.

ZET Financial leases are designed to cover residual risk across 10 freight hubs—a financing wrapper that tries to de-risk early BEV Class 8 adoption when residual values and depot charging still scare CFOs. Adjacent context only: Tesla’s Nevada Semi factory inauguration on September 24 is nearby calendar noise, not proof every ZET SCALE unit is a Semi.

Why the caveats matter

Record order headlines travel faster than RFP footnotes. For investors and Tesla Semi watchers, primary-OEM status is still a big demand signal—especially if Tesla can actually deliver volume into those ten hubs. For freight operators, the secondary OEM list is the safety valve: if Semi production or charging fit slips, Kenworth, Volvo, and RIDE remain in the mix. Corroborating releases from CALSTART / the alliance side match the multi-OEM framing Electrek emphasized.

Rocks take

Real deal, real scale, careful wording: Tesla primary for a record 2,500-unit Class 8 BEV order—not a confirmed all-Semi lock. Watch hub build-outs, lease uptake, and how volume splits across Tesla versus Kenworth, Volvo, and RIDE. Source: Electrek.

FAQ

Are all 2,500 trucks Tesla Semis? No—Electrek stresses the order is multi-OEM Class 8 BEVs with Tesla as primary OEM only.

Who are the founding shippers? They include Microsoft and PepsiCo, per the alliance announcement coverage.