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Uber Freight and Tesla are teaming on an all-inclusive program for carriers that will package Class 8 Tesla Semi electric trucks, charging infrastructure and guaranteed freight as a means of jump-starting adoption of the manufacturer’s oft-delayed zero-emission trucks.

The partners’ “” — announced by Uber Freight in Sept. 16 blog and social media posts — aims to entice carriers to speed adoption of battery-electric trucks by subsidizing the cost of the hardware. The move comes as the industry continues to struggle with depressed spot and contract rates, and bumps against Tesla’s promised late-2025 launch of serial production of the Semi truck. The manufacturer has missed previous launch dates for the truck. With federal EV incentives ending, the truck would be entering broader production as support for the transition to alternative fuel tractors is sagging.

Uber Freight wants to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles across supply chains and make “the journey to a zero-emission future more achievable than ever,” it said in the blog.

The unit of the ubiquitous ride-hailing service hopes to solve what it sees as the biggest obstacles facing BET adoption: upfront cost, predictability and return on investment. But the U.S. business case remains a challenge.

At , Uber Freight launched the Dedicated EV Fleet Accelerator Program with .

✔ Subsidized entry point for the Tesla Semi
✔ Secured dedicated freight demand
✔ Immediate ROI potential

Help drive the future of transportation: — Uber Freight (@UberFreight)

A recent study showed prices of U.S. Class 8 battery-electric trucks are on the rise at the same time as their European counterparts decline.

The median price of a battery-electric Class 8 tractor in the United States climbed 27% between model year 2020 and model year 2025, with the latest model-year price the first in three years to top $400,000, according to the International Council on Clean Transportation study. Over the same period, the median price of the equivalent tractor in the European Union decreased 32%.

Customers opting for the Uber-Tesla program will receive:

• A subsidized Tesla Semi purchase price.
• Guaranteed loads through participation in Uber Freight’s dedicated operations for a predetermined period.

Uber Freight said routes for shippers will be designed to mesh with a network of charging stations being built specifically to cater to the Semi’s needs. That tracks with what Dan Priestley, head of Tesla’s Semi program, told 2025 Advanced Clean Transportation Expo attendees in May. At the time, he said the world’s most valuable automaker by market capitalization planned to build a supercharger network tailored to the tractors’ needs.

In the same April 29 keynote presentation, Priestley said Tesla remains committed to production of the Semi reaching scale in 2026. The company’s Reno, Nevada, factory can manufacture up to 50,000 Semis a year.

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Dan Priestley at ACT Expo in April. (Seth Clevenger/Transport Topics)

Whether customers who put down a deposit or ordered a Semi will receive the tractors before participants in the accelerator initiative is unclear. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.

Uber Freight and Tesla have already completed a pilot for the Dedicated EV Fleet Accelerator Program using pre-serial production Semis. A group of carriers took part in the two-month pilot program, Uber Freight said, with the tractors covering 12,377 miles at an average net energy consumption of 1.72 kilowatt-hour per mile. A grand total of 60 hours of charging time was required for the truck involved.

The lower an energy consumption rating, the greater the return a carrier gets out of a battery-electric truck. Tesla pitches the Semi by promising energy consumption of less than 2 kWh per mile. The tractors are bettering that goal in multiple real-world tests.

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Tesla pitches the Semi by promising energy consumption of less than 2 kWh per mile on its website. (ArcBest)

In July, ArcBest said a three-week pilot with the carrier’s ABF Freight less-than-truckload division racked up a total of 4,494 miles with one Semi, averaging 321 miles per day with an overall energy consumption of 1.55 kWh per mile.

ArcBest, which ranks No. 13 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America and No. 8 among LTL carriers, said the truck’s performance generally matched that of its diesel peers.

Two Semis are also taking part in the latest , the “Messy Middle” demonstration.

The two Saia LTL Freight trucks are operating out of Stockton, Calif. Saia first introduced Semis to its fleet in December 2024.

The Semi grew out of a desire within the company to transition away from shipping parts for the company’s passenger cars across the country on diesel trucks, Priestley said during a Sept. 4 appearance on NACFE Executive Director . As a result, the first Semis to roll off the Reno production line will be used by Tesla’s logistics operation.

Uber Freight ranks No. 14 on the TT Top 100 list of the largest logistics companies in North America.

In the past month or so, Uber Freight saw a shake-up in its executive ranks, with its parent company tapping Rebecca Tinucci as CEO.

Tinucci succeeded founder and longtime CEO Lior Ron, who transitions to chairman, while also becoming chief operating officer of Waabi, the autonomous trucking startup in which Uber is an investor.

Somewhat coincidentally, Tinucci worked for Tesla for over six years, with her last job being head of the company’s global charging unit.