“Tesla’s 500-mile Semi range is a test-condition estimate; Pepsi’s monitored truck covered 410 miles on one charge”

Tesla's figures are estimates with a defined test setup

Tesla's current Semi page lists two versions: Standard Range at an estimated 523 km and Long Range at an estimated 804.7 km. Both are rated at a gross combination weight of 82,000 pounds. The page gives up to 800 kW of drive power, an ePTO of up to 25 kW and curb weights below 20,000 pounds for Standard Range and 23,000 pounds for Long Range. These are manufacturer specifications, not measurements from a national fleet. ^[1]

The range estimates assume 55 mph, 20 °C, flat ground, Tesla's tandem-axle aerodynamic kit and a CARB-compliant dry-van trailer at 82,000 pounds combined weight. Tesla says its 1.7 kWh-per-mile energy figure comes from internal simulations with the same stated operating conditions. It also warns that tires, roof fairing and trailer configuration can have a large effect on projected energy use. The qualifiers matter: a truck on a hilly route, in cold weather or at a different speed is not running the specified test. ^[1]

PepsiCo's monitored trucks show long-haul work with planned charging

NACFE and RMI's 2023 Run on Less Electric DEPOT was a field demonstration, not a controlled laboratory range test. NACFE followed 22 trucks from 10 depots using Geotab data. Three of the tracked trucks were Tesla Semis in PepsiCo's Sacramento operation. NACFE reported that a Pepsi Semi completed 659.8 km on one charge and 1,731.7 km in a 24-hour period; fast 750 kW charging at multiple points in the day made that long daily distance possible. ^[2][6]

The PepsiCo participant profile describes two different jobs: long-haul beverage routes of roughly 402.3 km to 724.2 km per day and shorter local delivery routes under 120.7 km, with the truck leaving the depot heavily loaded and getting lighter as it delivered. Its installed system included four 750 kW charging units, and NACFE recorded a 45-minute charge from zero to 75% state of charge for the participating fleet setup. The observed 410-mile charge and 1,076-mile day are therefore evidence of practical range and fast charging in a particular operation; they are not interchangeable measures. ^[3]

Observed energy use belongs to a specific fleet and route

At ACT Expo in May 2024, Tesla Semi program manager Dan Priestley said Tesla's Semi fleet was averaging 105.6 kWh/100km, including trucks hauling heavy beverages. That statement came from a Tesla executive describing fleet operations. It is consistent with Tesla's current 1.7 kWh-per-mile specification, but the sources describe different evidence: one is an executive's report of fleet use; the other is an estimate based on internal simulation. Neither is a guaranteed energy consumption for every route. ^[4][1]

A separate California Air Resources Board project report said Frito-Lay had continued tracking its Semis after an initial data collection and observed a rolling average below 87 kWh/100km. That figure can coexist with Tesla's 1.7 figure because the operators, loads, route design, weather and measurement windows differ. Comparing them as though they were a matched test would hide precisely the variables that affect truck efficiency. ^[5]

A second tracked Tesla deployment gives a different operating picture. Saia used two Tesla Semis from its Stockton, California, terminal for regional and urban work, including a pickup-and-delivery route and a slip-seated two-shift LTL operation. Its NACFE fleet profile describes 24/5 operations, routes including the Donner Pass, and four 750 kW Semi chargers; a driver said a 30-minute lunch charge could add enough energy to finish the route. This is a reported setup and driver account for one fleet, not a guaranteed charge session for other sites. ^[7]

NACFE's 2026 analysis of the 2025 Messy Middle run covered 14 Class 8 tractors and more than 73,000 validated revenue miles across all powertrains. Across the battery-electric entries, it reports 350 to 500-plus miles of daily operation and one validated 875-mile day on favorable terrain, using trucks with 565 to 705-plus kWh packs. The report also found 50% to 70% efficiency variation between comparable flat and mountainous terrain. These are cohort-level observations and route effects, not a claim that a Tesla Semi covered 1,408.2 km. ^[8]

What a fleet can reasonably infer

Taken together, the evidence shows several distinct results: a PepsiCo Semi completed a 410-mile leg on one charge in 2023 and a 1,076-mile day using charging stops; Saia later operated two Semis on selected California regional, urban, and two-shift assignments; and the broader 2025 BEV cohort reached an 875-mile one-day maximum on favorable terrain. The last result is not Semi-specific, and none establishes a typical daily range across all fleets. Tesla's stated maximum range remains a conditional estimate. Fleet operators should calculate their own energy needs from cargo weight, gradients, speeds, temperatures, charging windows and trailer details. ^{[2][6][7][8][1]}