Tesla is now taking orders for its Semi truck five years after it was first debuted.
It was in 2017 that the EV pioneer, led by billionaire Elon Musk, revealed the vehicle meant to shake up the trucking industry.
And its impressive specs made it look like it could do just that.
With a range of up to more than 800 kilometres (or 500 miles) and an array of tech to make truckers’ lives easier, it was a surefire attention-getter at the time.
The Tesla Semi doesn’t actually exist just yet, but the company has officially opened the order books on its website, InsideEVs first revealed.
A $5000 credit card deposit is required upfront, with a further $15,000 by wire transfer expected within the following 10 days to secure the order.
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But there’s a catch. Well, one beyond the truck not being built yet.
The terms and conditions point out that the first $5000 is refundable if you pull out within 10 days.
But should you wish to cancel your order after paying the full $20,000, you won’t get a dime back.
The estimated base price for a Semi with a 483-kilometre (300-mile) range is $150,000, while one with a 805-kilometre (500-mile) range is expected to be $180,000.
Customers are also yet to learn when they’ll be getting their trucks, too.
All that’s known is production of the Tesla Semi is intended to start in 2023.
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It’s believed the likes of Walmart and FedEx have already placed orders for dozens of the trucks.
This isn’t the first time Tesla has taken deposits from customers for vehicles they haven’t built.
It’s not only become the norm for the company to do this, but for other EV manufacturers to follow suit.
