Tesla Says Chicago’s First 50 Semis Are on Their Way

Tesla says Chicago’s first 50 Semi trucks are on their way for delivery, putting a number behind the electric truck’s arrival in the region just a day after the company announced a new local charging site.

“Hello Windy City,” the Tesla Semi account wrote on X on November 11. “Chicago’s first 50 Semis en route for delivery.”

The update follows Tesla’s announcement of six Semi Megacharger stalls in Hodgkins, Illinois, southwest of Chicago. Together, the two announcements put trucks and charging infrastructure in the same region as Tesla expands its commercial vehicle business.

Tesla’s accompanying photo shows four silver Semis parked side by side at sunset. The company describes the 50 trucks as en route, so this is a delivery update rather than confirmation that all 50 have been handed over or put to work.

There is already a sizeable Chicago-area order in the background. In September, HMD Trucking owner Henry Malukas told MotorTrend he was buying 50 Tesla Semis for roughly $15 million. His business operates nearly 700 diesel big rigs across Illinois and Indiana.

Malukas pointed to lower maintenance requirements as a major reason for the purchase and said his company was installing its own chargers in Chicago. However, Tesla’s new post does not name the customer or customers receiving these trucks, so it does not establish that this shipment is HMD’s order.

Recent Semi deliveries

The Semi’s customer rollout began with PepsiCo in December 2022, years before the current production ramp. DHL Supply Chain confirmed its first Semi delivery on December 4, 2025, saying the truck was already operating in Central California after a successful pilot.

By March 2026, Hight Logistics was showcasing its new Semi while delivering a customer container to the TPM logistics conference. More recently, IMC Logistics said in a LinkedIn update that its Semi had arrived and was “already hitting the road.” Those are examples of trucks reaching customer operations, while Chicago’s latest batch is still described as en route.

The manufacturing backdrop has changed too. Tesla announced high-volume Semi production in Nevada in September. Its third-quarter update subsequently confirmed that volume production had begun and listed installed annual Semi capacity at 25,000 trucks. That is factory capacity, not a delivery total or the current production rate.

In that update, Tesla rated the top Semi variant for 500 miles of range at a full 82,000-pound gross combination weight, with energy use of 1.7 kWh per mile.

The nearby Megacharger addition is relevant beyond this first batch. Tesla says its truck chargers can deliver up to 1.2 megawatts and recover up to 60% of a Semi’s range in 30 minutes, depending on charging conditions. Access to that network can give fleets more options than relying entirely on charging at their own depots.

For Chicago operators considering electric trucks, the next practical test will be how the Semis fit daily routes, charging stops and maintenance schedules once they enter service.

Which Chicago-area fleet would you like to see put Tesla Semis to work next?