Shippers Pool Demand for 2,500 Electric Semis in US Fleet Push

A coalition of corporate shippers has placed a 2,500-unit electric heavy-truck order that could nearly double the total number of Class 8 electric vehicles currently operating on American roads. The purchase moves through ZET SCALE, an initiative launched by Catalyst Mobility and Smart Freight Centre to break the demand fragmentation that has long slowed fleet electrification.

Microsoft and PepsiCo are among the founding shippers in the alliance. By aggregating purchasing power, the group ran an open competition among manufacturers — a process that ended with Tesla as the primary supplier, alongside Volvo, Kenworth, and RIDE filling out the remainder of the order.

Three mechanisms underpin the deal’s commercial logic:

• Pooled corporate demand forces automakers to compete on final price rather than capturing isolated buyers
• The ZET Lease program removes residual-value risk from fleet operators, lowering their financial exposure
• Vehicles will be deployed in concentrated waves across ten US freight hubs to maximize charging and maintenance efficiency

Catalyst Mobility CEO Michael Berube argued that market access, not technology quality, is now the real bottleneck — even the best product fails without the right demand structures in place. Analysts expect Tesla Semi deliveries of between 5,000 and 15,000 units industry-wide this year, meaning output from Volvo, Kenworth, and RIDE will be essential to filling the full 2,500-truck commitment on schedule.

Source: Electrek