Photo: Tesla
When Ramon Laguarta told CNBC PepsiCo would get its first set of Tesla Semi on Q4 2021, we mentioned it looked like something Elon Musk would later deny on Twitter. It took only four days to confirm that. When asked about it, the Tesla CEO said it would not happen.
When a Tesla fan asked Musk about Semi deliveries, the executive said that the “company is constrained by chip supply short-term, cell supply long-term.” That said, it would not be “possible to produce additional vehicles in volume until both constraints are addressed.” Ironically, Musk did not mention the issue with batteries is even more profound than just supply. It relates to achieving mass production of 4680 cells.
As we have said over and over, Tesla has based all its new products on the new battery format. It built two new factories expecting to produce vehicles conceived around it. Yet, the company has not finished developing that crucial element for both the factories and the cars they will make. That is a precarious thing to do, to say the least.
If the 4680 tabless cells were ready, then Musk could talk about a supply constraint. At this point, there’s not even a 4680 cells supply: it is yet to be created. This is what made it so evident that the Semi, the Cybertruck, and the Roadster will not arrive anytime soon, as optimistic as Tesla customers such as PepsiCo may be.
With Musk’s public dismissal of Semi deliveries in 2021, all that is left is to see what PepsiCo will do about that. Laguarta may admit he was wrong. He may also just avoid talking about it in hopes that people will eventually forget about it. A more extreme measure would be to cancel PepsiCo’s Semi orders and buy anything the competition can deliver right now. Volvo already sells the VNR Electric, and there are plenty of competitors about to hit the market.
As we have said over and over, Tesla has based all its new products on the new battery format. It built two new factories expecting to produce vehicles conceived around it. Yet, the company has not finished developing that crucial element for both the factories and the cars they will make. That is a precarious thing to do, to say the least.
If the 4680 tabless cells were ready, then Musk could talk about a supply constraint. At this point, there’s not even a 4680 cells supply: it is yet to be created. This is what made it so evident that the Semi, the Cybertruck, and the Roadster will not arrive anytime soon, as optimistic as Tesla customers such as PepsiCo may be.
With Musk’s public dismissal of Semi deliveries in 2021, all that is left is to see what PepsiCo will do about that. Laguarta may admit he was wrong. He may also just avoid talking about it in hopes that people will eventually forget about it. A more extreme measure would be to cancel PepsiCo’s Semi orders and buy anything the competition can deliver right now. Volvo already sells the VNR Electric, and there are plenty of competitors about to hit the market.
Please don’t read too much into this. As mentioned publicly, Tesla is constrained by chip supply short-term & cell supply long-term.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 13, 2021
Not possible to produce additional vehicles in volume until both constraints are addressed.
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