Tesla has bagged another large order for its class-8 Semi truck placed by a big US logistics firm named Karat Packaging in December 2021. This is a big step towards a sustainable supply chain by Karat.
Although the customer has put down the deposit for all 10 Tesla Semi-trucks, Tesla, Inc. hasn’t provided them with an exact delivery date. However, Karat® expects that the company will get its electric semi-trucks later this year.
Karat® by Lollicup™ is a rapidly-growing manufacturer and distributor of environmentally friendly, single-use disposable products, primarily used in restaurants and food service settings. The company supplies a wide range of products for national restaurant chains, as well as smaller, regional chains. Karat’s products include food packaging, containers, tableware, cups, lids, cutlery, and straws. The company also provides additional environmentally friendly options to sustainably-conscious customers.
Source: Karat Packaging website
Karat Packaging also released the following new picture of the Tesla Semi with the press release on its purchase of this initial fleet.
The company aims to perform its logistics operations with the Tesla Semi-trucks initially within California. Since Cali has the densest Tesla Supercharger network in the country, Karat will charge the trucks at these locations. As Tesla develops its Megacharger Network in the coming months and years, Karat and other Tesla customers will have the facility to charge the electric semis at these 1.5 MW charging stations.
Tesla has already set up the first Megacharger station at its Gigafactory in Sparks Nevada where the automaker is currently undertaking limited production of the Tesla Semi.
According to our friends at Teslarati, PepsiCo is going to receive the first batch of 15 Tesla Semis as soon as this month (Jan 2022). In preparation for this delivery, PepsiCo is developing its own Meghacharger at one of its prominent locations, Drive Tesla reported this last week.
Karat has a widespread presence with the following 6 total locations in the United States as of now:
- Chino, California
- Summer, Washington
- Kapolei, Hawaii
- Rockwell, Texas
- Summerville, South Carolina
- Branchburg, New Jersey
Although exact delivery dates are not available, Karat Packaging expects to add the 10 Semis to its California fleet next year. The Chino, California warehouse is a crucial location that receives most of the company’s imports and later transfers to the other 4 contiguous US locations. Karat Packaging uses its own fleet to pick up products from the ports of Los Angeles and soon that journey will be made with Tesla Semis. Unfortunately, there are still limitations for the Semi, even with its 500-mile range. These trucks will be confined to Tesla Supercharger locations and, soon after, Megacharger locations.
Nevertheless, this investment is a step forward towards the company’s efforts to become more eco-friendly. Karat Packaging continues to add to the Karat Earth product line of biodegradable and compostable restaurant supplies. Also, as a California-based company, Karat Packaging is joining the cause to become net-zero by 2045. Karat Packaging CEO, Alan Yu, says: “California is headed towards net-zero by 2045, so why wait to adapt? We are trying to get a head start.”
Source: Karat press release.
With the addition of this order by Karat Packaging, the total tally of publicly-known Tesla Semi orders goes to 42 and the total trucks ordered are 798 units (source & detailed stats: Tesla Semi order tracking page by X Auto).
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