EVwire brief: Bison Transport is now testing Tesla Semis with its drivers in the Chicago area, giving the electric truck another real-world fleet evaluation as Tesla ramps up production in North America and prepares for its European launch.
Bison announced the testing on LinkedIn, saying its drivers are getting hands-on experience with the Semi and that initial feedback has been positive.
“It’s still early, but the initial feedback has been positive.”
Here's Bison's LinkedIn announcement:
The Canadian transportation company did not disclose how many Semis are involved, how long the testing will run, or what routes the trucks are operating.
Bison is one of Canada's biggest carriers, running over 2,100 trucks and 6,000 trailers across the country and into all 48 lower US states. The company has had its eye on the Semi for a while. Former CEO Rob Penner attended the original unveiling back in 2017 and at the time said he saw potential for electric trucks in "regional and medium-range operations" and that it was “definitely something that we will fully evaluate.”
Bison has been a supporter of the Tesla Semi since the vehicle was unveiled in late 2017.
Context:
The Chicago test puts Bison alongside a growing list of fleets trialing the truck. Einride placed a 500-unit order earlier this month, the largest Tesla Semi deployment to date, and Paper Transport kicked off its own Chicago-area pilot back in July.
Meanwhile, Tesla is prepping the Semi for Europe. The company confirmed it will unveil European specs and launch details at IAA Transportation in Hannover next month. There are also signs that the European version may ditch conventional side mirrors for camera systems, a feature already common on European trucks from Mercedes-Benz and DAF.
Source: Bison Transport on LinkedIn
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