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It’s hard to believe that it was way back in 2017 that Tesla announced its Class 8 electric semi-truck, the Tesla Semi. Media coverage seemed to peak as its announcement went viral, and given the lack of recent media coverage, you’d think that the whole segment had gone dormant. However, that’s not the case, and there has been a steady undercurrent of electric semi truck activity. For example, Volvo Trucks recently announced that they delivered their 5,000th electric semi truck. This hasn’t gone unnoticed on social media with many active posts.
A Reddit post with a long comment thread discusses the results of recent electric semi tests by ArcBest, an integrated logistics company that provides a wide range of transportation and supply chain solutions to businesses worldwide.
stinger_02in started the post with:
“Tesla Semi achieves record 1.55 kWh per mile efficiency.”
cowboyjosh2010 with some interesting fuel efficiency insights:
“Considering that 1 gallon of gas has 33.7 kWh of energy, this is 21.7 miles-per-gallon-of-gasoline-equivalent.
Also, considering that 1 gallon of diesel has 37.1 kWh of energy, this is 23.9 miles-per-gallon-of-diesel-equivalent.
No matter how you slice it, that is tremendously energy efficient relative to the single-digit MPG (of diesel) ICE semi trucks are accustomed to getting.”
Another Reddit thread started by financeboy0 has a long and interesting discussion about Volvo Trucks’s accomplishment”
“Volvo delivers 5,000th electric semi with little fanfare, sending a BIG message.”
There has been recent semi truck activity in all corners of the industry. In addition to Volvo Truck’s very impressive milestone, Uber Freight entered a relationship with Tesla, and Zeem Solutions has been quietly building out a charging depot infrastructure.
The Volvo VNR Electric Semi Truck is Silently Racking up Big Wins
Launched in 2020, the Volvo VNR Electric is a Class 8, zero-emission battery electric truck with the familiar features and safety of Volvo’s diesel trucks. Designed for local and regional distribution, the Volvo VNR Electric offers various configurations including 4×2 and 6×4 tractors, and single-axle straight trucks. It features an expanded six-battery system for up to 275 miles of range.
Over the past five years, the Volvo electric trucks offering has matured across finance, operations, and public visibility. They offer a subscription model which reduces upfront costs. Accumulated mileage is confirming reliability. Fleets now have clearer pathways to pilot and scale the VNR Electric where turn times, routes, and depot charging can be planned based on proven use cases.
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Volvo’s VNR Electric semi truck showed continued success by racking up fleet mileage. Volvo Trucks North America reported that VNR Electrics surpassed fifteen million customer miles across the U.S. and Canada, with deployments spanning small operators to fleets running dozens of battery electric trucks. The milestone reflects steady growth since commercial orders began in late 2020 and signals deeper dealer and service readiness.
Volvo’s truck-as-a-service started real operations this spring. R&M Trucking became the first U.S. customer for Volvo on Demand, putting a VNR Electric to work around Chicago O’Hare with a subscription that bundles the vehicle, maintenance, and adoption support. With a fleet of about 300 trucks, R&M Trucking chose Volvo VNR trucks with a six-battery configuration with roughly 275 miles of range and about 90 minutes to reach an 80% level of charge, which lowers risk for fleets testing regional duty cycles. This is an ideal use case for electric trucks, as the company makes daily runs of about 70 to 100 miles throughout the Chicagoland area.
The VNR Electric’s ability to support urban logistics gained a notable showcase in New York City. City Harvest will receive four Class 7 VNR Electrics equipped with electric transport refrigeration units (eTRUs) and will charge at an EV freight hub as part of the Bronx is Breathing initiative. The program links clean trucks with food rescue routes, which demonstrates how regional haul technology can support community outcomes
Uber Freight and Tesla
Uber Freight and Tesla created a Dedicated EV Fleet Accelerator Program that lowers the upfront cost of buying Tesla Semis through subsidies, while securing freight through contracted lanes. Carriers must dedicate participating trucks and drivers to Uber Freight for the contract term, which helps increase asset utilization. The program targets the price gap between electric tractors and diesel, while steering fleets toward routes that match existing high-power charging.
Launched in 2017, Uber Freight is a digital logistics platform and network that connects businesses needing to ship goods (shippers) with transportation providers (carriers) to move full truckload (FTL) and less-than-truckload (LTL) freight. It provides shippers with a self-service platform to get instant quotes, book shipments, and track them from pickup to delivery.
A two-month validated real world viability under managed conditions. The pilot covered 12,377 miles with 394 hours of drive time, averaging 1.72 kilowatt hours per mile and about 60 hours of total charge time. The companies acknowledge that charging access remains a limiting factor, so early operations are advised to run within corridors supported by Tesla’s public network.
Electric-Fleet-as-a-Service
The past couple of years have shown a real demand for infrastructure to support electrified fleets and the private sector is stepping up to fill the void. One company is Zeem Solutions. Zeem Solutions operates a “fleet-as-a-service” platform built around high-capacity depots and targets freight and mobility hubs where electrification can scale quickly. The company’s timeline shows steady expansion from a single LAX hub to a growing coastal network. Zeem is a private company, but public metrics show rapid increases in charging sessions and electricity delivered rather financial figures.
Zeem Solutions was founded in 2017 by industry veterans, initially in New York, then relocated to Los Angeles in 2019 where it opened its first depot near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in 2021. That early footprint and a focus on high-utilization sites shaped a plan to scale the depot model nationally.
The company now builds and operates shared electric-vehicle depots that bundle fast charging, secure parking, maintenance, cleaning, and optional vehicle leasing for commercial fleets. The model is designed for airport and seaport corridors where uptime and turn times matter most, giving fleets a way to electrify without owning infrastructure. Zeem Solutions boasts a full-service offering that covers cars through Class 8 trucks, including partnerships such as charging support for Hertz at LAX.
Zeem’s first and now flagship hub sits a short distance from LAX and spans two adjacent Inglewood locations. It has about 80 DC fast chargers at the site with a multimegawatt interconnection, and describe expansion plans to Long Beach, Newark, and Savannah. Recent releases add a SeaTac-area truck depot supported by a Northwest Seaport Alliance grant, reinforcing a strategy of siting near ports, airports, and distribution centers.
What Do You Think?
If you have tested the Tesla Semi or Volvo VNR Electric, what surprised you most about daily operations?
What is the most convincing proof point you have seen for electric semi trucks so far?
Chris Johnston is the author of SAE’s comprehensive book on electric vehicles, “The Arrival of The Electric Car.” His coverage on Torque News focuses on electric vehicles. Chris has decades of product management experience in telematics, mobile computing, and wireless communications. Chris has a B.S. in electrical engineering from Purdue University and an MBA. He lives in Seattle. When not working, Chris enjoys restoring classic wooden boats, open water swimming, cycling and flying (as a private pilot). You can connect with Chris on LinkedIn and follow his work on X at ChrisJohnstonEV.
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Source: torquenews.com
