Fuel Adds Four Tesla Semi Trucks to its Growing Fleet
When Tesla unveiled its Semi on November 16th, it marked a seismic shift in the transportation industry. Fuel, a company that never shies from innovation, preordered four—making it one of the Semi’s first Canadian buyers. The move cements Fuel’s commitment to road safety and innovative supply-chain efforts. “We don’t see it so much as an investment in Tesla as we do an investment in our industry and its people.” says Fuel Founder Rob Piccioni.
Fuel has paid close attention to Tesla’s accomplishments. With the Semi, they anticipate a major industry shakeup. The new vehicle offers greater power at reduced energy costs—a fact that’s incredibly significant for an asset-invested company like Fuel. Musk asserts that on a per-mile basis, the Semi is 20 percent cheaper than diesel-engine trucks. As far as range goes, Tesla lapped expectations with a battery that offers a 500-mile capacity.
These ingredients, along with cutting-edge safety features, point to electric rigs being the new industry standard. And as logistics faces a spectrum of new challenges, Fuel welcomes this standard wholeheartedly. Rob explains how, at the end of the day, it all about embracing change: “We’re a company that promotes positive change from many different angles: strategy, networking and, of course, the relationships that help our venture thrive. Tesla promotes change from an equipment perspective, which is complementary to our values.”
For both companies, innovation is always driven by a people-first policy. In fact, for Fuel, one of the Semi’s more attractive features is its potential to revolutionize road safety. “We have a strong asset-based arm—our own equipment, our own drivers.” Rob notes. “Safety for us is paramount.” In the US alone, approximately 4,000 individuals die every year from truck-related collisions. Features such as Enhanced Autopilot, lane-keeping assist, automatic emergency breaking and forward-collision warning have the potential to significantly reduce these tragedies. Fuel’s purchase aims to ensure peace of mind for its many truck drivers in the coming years.
To be truly invested in the industry’s future generation, leaders need to reconcile higher freight demands with emission-reducing commitments. By adding four Semis to its growing fleet, Fuel hopes to set a forward-thinking precedent for other logistics businesses in North America.
The Semi rolls onto Canadian and US roads in 2020. Safe, sustainable, economical and innovative—it addresses the coming decade’s biggest issues. For Fuel, the acquisition was an obvious one. The new vehicle represents everything the logistics company strives for. “We’re listening and we like what we hear.” Rob says. “With the help of Tesla, we’re going to revolutionize the relationship logistics has with both customers and drivers.”