Tesla lands 50-Semi order from IMC Logistics

IMC Logistics is adding 50 Tesla Semis to its California fleet, the intermodal drayage provider announced in a release on Sept. 22. The company plans to use Standard Range models for port drayage and Long Range models on routes connecting Southern California with inland destinations. IMC did not disclose how many units of each model it purchased or when all 50 vehicles will enter active service.

Tesla's specifications rate the Standard Range Semi at 325 miles and the Long Range version at 500 miles fully loaded at 82,000 pounds. Both models are manufactured at Tesla's 1.7 million-square-foot factory in Sparks, Nevada, which is designed to build 50,000 trucks annually. Early units from the program were delivered to DHL, PepsiCo and US Foods.

The purchase adds to commercial momentum for the electric truck. In May, WattEV ordered 370 Tesla Semis to operate from charging hubs at the Port of Oakland and Fresno, scheduling the first 50 deliveries for 2026 and full deployment by the end of 2027. In September, Tesla was also chosen as the primary manufacturer for a 2,500-truck electric order by ZET SCALE, an alliance backed by founding shippers including Microsoft and PepsiCo, with Los Angeles among its first 10 targeted freight hubs.

The new Semis will join a mixed fleet as IMC aims to replace all diesel tractors in California by 2028. IMC previously acquired 50 Nikola hydrogen fuel-cell trucks in March 2024 alongside Volvo battery-electric models. Following Nikola's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in February 2025, Jim Gillis, Pacific Region president at IMC Logistics, reported that 40 of those 50 trucks remained operational by late June 2025 as hydrogen fuel costs rose from $7.50 to $29 per kilogram.