Elon Musk's group is due to give the keys to the vehicle to food group PepsiCo at the Sparks, Nevada plant on Thursday.

The truck, with a cabin with rounded lines, was presented in 2017. But the launch of its large-scale production, initially planned for 2019, has been delayed.

Other manufacturers have already invested in the niche, whether traditional manufacturers of heavy goods vehicles such as Daimler, Volvo, Traton (a subsidiary of Volkswagen) and the Chinese BYD, or start-ups such as the American Nikola.

Deliveries are just beginning but many orders have been placed.

But the truck "that the market has been waiting for for some time is Tesla," says Dave Mullaney, transport specialist at sustainability firm RMI.

The other manufacturers, drawing on their experience in heavy goods vehicles, have above all transformed a diesel truck into an electric one.

Tesla, for its part, is launching a truck "designed to be electric from the start", he notes.

If the American group keeps its promises "it will make a big difference".

Elon Musk said in a tweet on Saturday that the truck had traveled 500 miles (805 kilometers) without recharging, with a total weight of nearly 37 tons, when the vehicles currently offered offer a range of 250 to 300 miles (400 to 480 kilometers). ).

Physically possible?

To be able to transport heavy loads over long distances, "the battery must be very big; it's heavy, it takes up space and it's very expensive", recalls Mike Roeth, director of the North American Council for the freight efficiency (NACFE).

"Industry players have long wondered if it's physically possible to have a battery that's powerful enough without being too heavy to do the job."

The transition to electric vans making deliveries in town or over short distances has been underway for some time.

If electric heavy goods vehicles can travel 800 kilometers without having to recharge, this opens up the niche for long-distance journeys, with a return to the depot the same evening or over several days if the driver can find a terminal where he takes a break.

Manufacturers and carriers are driven by regulations.

In the United States, California passed a law providing for the gradual elimination of thermal engine trucks, since imitated by other states.

The European Union is due to discuss new standards in the coming months.

Companies are also increasingly paying attention to being environmentally conscious in order to preserve their reputation.

They "want to be on the right side of history", remarks Marie Chéron, of the European association Transport & Environment.

Those who do not engage in a decarbonization strategy, sometimes with the idea of ​​letting technologies improve a little more, "fall behind", she also argues.

Another incentive: the drivers who have been able to test them "love electric trucks", says Mike Roeth.

"They're quiet, there's no exhaust fumes, they're easier to drive."

Same cost

For the adoption of electric trucks to accelerate, it is necessary that the autonomy really corresponds to the promises and ideally that the batteries shrink, note several analysts interviewed by AFP.

Infrastructure must also adapt, with more charging stations and an electricity network strong enough to allow, for example, ten trucks to connect to a parking lot at the same time.

The price will be decisive.

For now, an electric truck still costs about 70% more to buy than a diesel truck but costs less in terms of energy and maintenance, notes Dave Mullaney.

"Electric vehicles will be competitive with diesels (...), it's only a matter of time," said a spokeswoman for the American manufacturer Navistar, a subsidiary of Traton.

Tesla must now "prove they can produce at scale," said Dan Ives of Wedbush.

Elon Musk indicated at the end of October that he aimed to build 50,000 Semis in 2024.

He proved in 2018, when production of the Model 3 sedan was struggling to ramp up, that he knew how to get his teams up and running.

But the attention the entrepreneur is currently paying to his latest acquisition, Twitter, "is taking the back seat to what should be a great moment in Tesla's history," laments Dan Ives.

© 2022 AFP