Tesla finally started delivering the Semi electric truck late last year, with PepsiCo getting the first batch. There has been increased spotting but a few weeks in, one of them has turned up seemingly broken down on the road in Modesto, California.
The Semi had the Frito Lay livery and was attached to a trailer when it malfunctioned. Observers reported a Tesla service van parked around, suggesting Tesla technicians were called in for help with a problem.
In anticipation of the deliveries of the Semi, Tesla set up a dedicated Semi Service Program last year. It appears as though those employees are now fielding calls for on-site assistance. However, it is not out of place for a company releasing a new product into the wild to arrange specialized help for when things go wrong, especially if some of the biggest companies will use it to support their logistics.
Twitter user @SilentAlert1 posted a picture of the Semi and the service van. However, he strikes a pessimistic tone in the caption, but that is expected as he also shills the Hyliion ERX, an electrified powertrain system that can augment or fully replace traditional diesel or natural gas-fueled powertrains. (via InsideEVs)
Another @tesla Semi Breakdown. There is a fine balance of Sustainability and reliability. Fleets can't depends on units that breakdown. $TSLA
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2023 @Hyliion ERX 1,000 mile range! pic.twitter.com/spflHq02J2— SilentAlert (@SilentAlert1) January 20, 2023
A TikTok user captured a short video of a tow truck getting ready to remove the Semi from the side of the road.
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It is not clear what went wrong with the Semi. However, it is certain Tesla engineers are working hard to find out the problem and apply a fix.
This is the second reported Semi breakdown since PepsiCo took delivery of their electric trucks. As we first reported last month another Semi with Pepsi livery was spotted being towed through Sacramento. According to information obtained by Drive Tesla, that particular truck suffered a very minor issue that was quickly fixed. Although we can’t share the details of what exactly went wrong in order to protect the identity of our source, the fix was also applied to the other Semi trucks already built.
You can geek out over the Semi’s battery pack and thermal management system here.
