A pair of Arkansas companies are among the first to say they will buy several of Tesla's new electric semitrucks.
J.B. Hunt Transport Services of Lowell announced Friday morning it plans to buy several of the vehicles. Bentonville-based Wal-Mart also said Friday that it will purchase some.
The company unveiled its new electric semi-tractor-trailer Thursday night near its design center in Hawthorne, Calif.
CEO Elon Musk said the semi is capable of traveling 500 miles on an electric charge — even with a full 80,000-pound load — and will cost less than a diesel semi considering fuel savings, lower maintenance and other factors. Musk said customers can put down a $5,000 deposit for the semi now and production will begin in 2019.
"We're confident that this is a product that's better in every way from a feature standpoint," Musk told a crowd of Tesla fans gathered for the unveiling. Musk didn't reveal the semi's price.
The truck will have Tesla's Autopilot system, which can maintain a set speed and slow down automatically in traffic. It also has a system that automatically keeps the vehicle in its lane. Musk said several Tesla semis will be able to travel in a convoy, autonomously following each other.
Musk said Tesla plans a worldwide network of solar-powered "megachargers" that could get the trucks back up to 400 miles of range after charging for only 30 minutes.
In April, J.B. Hunt began a $500 million investment campaign over five years to develop "innovative and disruptive technologies."
A spokesman for J.B. Hunt said the trucks are an investment separate from the $500 million innovation commitment.
Read Saturday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.