Forum’s Schrap says battery powered Tesla Semi has a 500-mile range

Tesla's new battery-powered Tesla Semi truck will have a 500-mile range per charge, which will help to close the gap with conventional diesel trucks, according to Matt Schrap, former President of the Harbor Trucking Association and now Chief Commercial Officer for Forum Mobility.

Forum Mobility develops, owns, and operates heavy-duty charging depots and leases electric Class 8 trucks—providing a sustainable way to move freight.

In an interview with AJOT, Schrap said: “Many companies entered into the space during the initial ACF era, and Forum was one of those companies. They were, in fact, one of the first companies to really join and proactively contribute to the Harbor Trucking Association. They jumped right into this because they saw a need for drayage carriers to provide a service that basically didn't exist. And from my perspective, their hearts were in the right place. I had had many a conversation with Matt Leducq, CEO of Forum Mobility, when they joined the HTA. I queried him about what their ultimate goal was. He was very candid and clear that this transition has to work for the motor carriers.”

Right now, Forum has a charging station at the Port of Long Beach: “the Port of Long Beach at 260 Pico just off the 710 freeway. Our next site is underway, getting built for Q4 in the Compton, Rancho Dominguez area, which is about 7 miles away from the Port.”

Schrap said Forum has been working closely with the motor carriers, understanding what their challenges are, and finding pathways where the trucking fleet will see benefits from running zero-emission trucks.

Forum will soon be deploying truck chargers that will provide the Megawatt Charging Standard (MCS) with up to and over 1,000 kilowatts per hour of charging, compared to older chargers with less than half of that capacity. This will reduce charging time at the same time as the Tesla Semi comes into production with its stated 500-mile per charge capability.

Compared to older battery-powered trucks with the Tesla Semi: “You get 500 miles of range, whereas the previous trucks were getting about 220, maybe 250 miles. So, you're going twice as far, and it takes 1/4 of the time to charge it.

Schrap says California air quality regulations did not take into account the need to support battery-powered trucks that were economical. Thanks to Forum and Tesla, market forces are starting to make this happen: “So, now it's really about economics because if you're using electricity, depending on when you're charging, you're already cheaper than diesel on a per-mile basis. So, it can be pretty cheap compared to the fuel efficiency that you can get in a diesel. There are a lot of factors that go into that.”

Local, state, and federal Incentives and lower maintenance costs are helping drive battery-powered truck costs down: “When you put incentives on top of it, and you have the lower maintenance, you're seeing a better TCO (Total cost of ownership). And that's where it's at right now. It has got to be about economics.”

Cost

Prices of U.S. Class 8 battery-electric trucks are on the rise at the same time as their European and Chinese counterparts decline, raising questions about why and transparency at a time when demand is falling far short of expectations, according to a recent study cited by Transport Topics

The median price of a battery-electric Class 8 tractor in the U.S. rose 27% overall between model year 2020 and model year 2025, with the latest model-year price, according to the study by the International Council on Clean Transportation. Over the same period, the median price of the equivalent tractor in the European Union decreased 32%

The study found: “Next, we compare price trends in the United States with other markets. The absolute prices of vehicles in different markets can differ significantly; in our database, the median price of a model year 2024 battery electric heavy-duty tractor truck in the United States is $379,800, and in China, the median price of the same class and type of vehicle is $119,600.”

Schrap is hopeful that if Tesla mass-produces the Tesla Semi in 2026, the truck prices will continue to decline and become more competitive.

Sales support

The issue of sales support is a major concern of fleet operators: “Coming from Tesla, they are very confident that they will be able to meet any type of after-sales support needs by fleets. They're talking about 95% up time with many issues being resolved and getting vehicles back to fleets within 24 hours. They have also stated they will offer loaner vehicles if it goes longer. So, I think they're very cognizant of needing to have that after-sales support. That is a huge thing for them. And if they're able to deliver on the performance, which it seems like they are, they're able to deliver from a timing standpoint, which also seems like they're on track.”

Factory and production

The Tesla Semi factory is “commissioned, they've got orders, they're starting to build their own fleet, and then if they can deliver on the after-sales support, which from the discussions we've had with them, that is something that's high on their priority, then this should be a very positive experience for fleet operators.”

Schrap said truck production should probably ramp up in the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2026: “They're already building now. So, by the end of Q2, they should be ready to ramp up production for these orders that have been coming in from the grants or some of the later orders. They did take a lot of deposits back in 2017, and they've taken orders in the interim. And so they're going to focus on those orders first. They're moving equipment from Fremont (CA) up to Reno Sparks (Nevada), delivering trucks with an 82,000-pound capability.”

Weight

The Tesla Semi will be heavier than conventional diesels due to the weight of the battery that it is powered by: “So you're at around 16,000 pounds for a fully fueled internal combustion, and while Tesla hasn't given an exact weight, we are seeing more efficient batteries. Ideally, we'll see better density and lighter weights in the future.”

Maintenance

Compared to diesel trucks, the Tesla Semi is claiming a major reduction in maintenance costs: “The number that I've heard consistently is about a 30% reduction in overall maintenance expenditure for battery electric compared to diesel. Tesla looks at these trucks as being 10-year assets that are going to have 95% up time.”