HMD Trucking is adding 50 Tesla Semi trucks to a fleet dominated by diesel, with co-founder Henry Malukas betting the electric trucks will make hauling freight cheaper and easier.
The company operates nearly 700 trucks, giving the order a meaningful foothold in an established trucking business. Speaking with MotorTrend at Tesla’s Semi launch event, Malukas said lower maintenance requirements, fuel savings and the driving experience convinced him to make the move.
“It’s an amazing product. It’s efficient, low maintenance, also the fuel cost. It’s unbelievable. And for the driver, I think it’s a dream come true.”
For Malukas, the appeal goes beyond electricity replacing diesel. Keeping conventional trucks running involves regular oil changes and other servicing, costs that add up across hundreds of vehicles.
Winter operations are another area where he expects improvements. HMD sometimes leaves diesel trucks idling overnight or assigns crews to help get them started in freezing temperatures. Malukas believes plugged-in Semis, with their batteries and cabins preheated before departure, could simplify those early mornings.
Cold weather will still affect range, but he sees that trade-off as manageable compared with the work needed to prepare diesel trucks.
HMD is installing its own charging infrastructure in Chicago and plans to use Tesla’s growing Megacharger network. That charging access will be an important part of putting the trucks to work.
The order follows Tesla’s September 24 event at its Nevada Semi factory, where the company highlighted plans for annual production capacity of 50,000 trucks. Its long-range Semi offers 500 miles (804 km) per charge when fully loaded, and even more when carrying a lighter load.
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