California Firm Orders 370 Tesla Electric Trucks

WattEV is betting big on electric trucking again, and this time they're going with Tesla.

The California logistics company just ordered 370 Tesla Semi trucks, making it the largest single electric truck deployment in the state's history. More than 300 of those trucks will serve the Port of Oakland, moving cargo along predictable routes perfect for electric vehicles.

What makes this order remarkable is WattEV's recent history. The company previously invested in 36 electric trucks from Nikola, watching that manufacturer collapse into bankruptcy in early 2025. Instead of retreating from electric freight entirely, WattEV doubled down with a competitor.

CEO Salim Youssefzadeh says his team chose Tesla through a competitive bidding process, selecting it based on cost, performance, and availability. The first 50 trucks arrive in 2026, with the full fleet operational by late 2027.

WattEV isn't just buying trucks. They're building the charging infrastructure to support them, opening new charging stations at the Port of Oakland and in Fresno equipped with Tesla's Megawatt Charging System. These chargers can add 300 miles of range in about 30 minutes.

The company already operates six charging depots across Southern California and has 15 more sites under development. Their San Bernardino hub alone now supports 200 electric truck charging cycles daily with over 11 megawatts of capacity.

The Ripple Effect

The economics are starting to work. WattEV's current 75-truck electric fleet has already logged 7 million freight miles across Southern California, and company leaders say they're moving goods cheaper than diesel trucks can.

Analysis shows the Tesla Semi can save operators over $400,000 compared to diesel over its lifetime. At $290,000 for the 500-mile version, it costs less than any other electric Class 8 truck on the market.

WattEV operates a Truck-as-a-Service model, meaning freight companies can use electric trucks without buying them outright or building charging infrastructure. This removes the biggest barrier stopping companies from making the switch: upfront capital costs and logistical headaches.

Port operations represent the ideal testing ground for electric trucks. Routes are predictable, distances are manageable, and trucks return to the same depot for charging each day. If the model succeeds there, it opens the door for nationwide expansion.

The timing aligns perfectly with Tesla's new dedicated Semi factory adjacent to Gigafactory Nevada, which just started high-volume production. As manufacturing scales up, expect more large orders to follow from companies watching WattEV's real-world results.

Sometimes the path to progress requires a detour, and WattEV's journey from Nikola to Tesla proves that setbacks don't have to stop forward motion.