Electric Trucking: Is Tesla Semi Ready?

Inter-Coastal Trucking shares their 2-week Tesla Semi demo experience, revealing surprising driver reactions, range realities, and significant operational savings. Get the inside scoop on electric trucking viability for northeast routes.

Intracoastal Trucking, a 100-truck, 600-trailer truckload carrier based in the Northeast, is currently running a two-week demo of a Tesla Semi on some of the region’s most demanding urban delivery corridors — and the company’s leader says he plans to add five trucks to the fleet as early as next year if the economics hold up.

The carrier put two drivers on the truck, one doing a stop-and-go shuttle operation and one running roughly 180-mile lengths of haul through Paterson, New Jersey, Astoria, Queens, and Long Island before returning via the Cross Bronx Expressway. Both drivers came away largely positive, though for different reasons. The shuttle driver praised the acceleration, ride quietness, and cab visibility. The longer-haul driver found the truck required active energy management — leaning on cruise control and regenerative braking rather than the friction brake — and on one run nearly depleted the battery before returning.

“He actually pressed the battery charge and almost didn’t get back,” said Bob Lewis of Intracoastal Trucking, describing the longer-haul driver’s early experience. “So he found that he had to manage the truck by using more of the cruise control. The regenerative braking is definitely a thing.”

“Between the maintenance and the fuel, I mean, we’re looking at probably maybe $0.65 per mile savings.” — Bob Lewis, Intracoastal Trucking

Those projected savings stem from the elimination of engine oil, filters, a transmission, turbocharger, DPF, and DEF system. Lewis also cited reduced downtime as an underappreciated variable, noting it is not uncommon for a conventional truck to sit for a week waiting on parts — a cost that rarely gets fully accounted for. The long-range Tesla Semi is rated at 525 miles; a shorter-range variant is rated at 325 miles. Intracoastal has not achieved 525 miles in real-world operation.

Charging infrastructure remains the sharpest constraint for Northeast operators. The only location where Intracoastal can currently charge the demo truck is in Elizabeth, New Jersey — an 8-to-10-hour process to reach 96% state of charge using what Lewis called a “2.0” charger. Tesla’s Megacharger, which Lewis said could be installed at Intracoastal’s facility, cuts that to 20 minutes, but the company noted there is no Megacharger coverage in the Lehigh Valley, where it runs significant freight volume. Tesla has indicated it will place Megachargers at truck stops across Pennsylvania and New Jersey, though no firm timeline was given.

The business case sharpens considerably on predictable, short routes. Lewis said Intracoastal runs 6,000 loads per year on an 8-mile shuttle between a manufacturing plant and a co-packer, and that use case is where the carrier intends to deploy its first five Semis, targeted for delivery in 2027. The demo was originally initiated at the request of a customer with zero-emissions goals, and Lewis noted that other prospective customers — ones Intracoastal does not currently haul for — have reached out after learning about the demo, citing their own sustainability requirements.

The cab’s center-seat driving position drew initial hesitation from drivers, who instinctively compensated for lane position as they would from a left-side seat. Lewis said that adjustment largely resolved itself within about a day of driving. Real-time telematics accessible via smartphone — showing speed, power consumption, cab temperature, and charging status — have also given Lewis visibility into daily operations he described as a notable operational advantage.

• Intracoastal Trucking projects $0.65 per mile in savings on maintenance and fuel costs with the Tesla Semi.
• Charging infrastructure is the critical bottleneck: the only available charge point in the Northeast is in Elizabeth, N.J., requiring 8-10 hours vs. 20 minutes with a Megacharger.
• The carrier plans to order 5 Tesla Semis for a dedicated 8-mile, 6,000-load-per-year shuttle route, with vehicles expected on-site in 2027.

This Summary is generated thanks to a transcription of the interview, for the full interview please enjoy the video above.