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Elon Musk knows how to make promises. Even by his own standards, the promises made last week while introducing two new Tesla vehicles—the heavy-duty Semi Truck and the speedy Roadster—are monuments of envelope pushing. To deliver, according to close observers of battery technology, Tesla would have to far exceed what is currently thought possible.

The sound — and smell — of thousands of idling trucks at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach could be fading if a new pilot project to convert them to part-time electric vehicles sticks.

Large for-hire carriers and major retailers are reserving their places in line to be among the first to test the all-electric Tesla Semi in their operations.

Video: Cummins' Tim Proctor, left, talks with TT's Roger Gilroy about meeting the fuel economy needs of customers who are concerned about global warming.

North American Council for Freight Efficiency Executive Director Mike Roeth (right) discusses diesel efficiencies demonstrated during the Run on Less event, and where diesel fits into the future of trucking as a power source, with TT Executive Editor Joe Howard.

On the heels of Tesla's electric truck unveiling, our Nov. 17 LiveOnWeb program took a look at fuel efficiency and cost-savings gains that cleaner-running diesel and natural gas promise, as well as the intriguing potential that electric offers, even for Class 8 trucks.

"Natural gas is ready right now, it’s available, and it should be part of that overall equation when any fleet operator or transit company looks to deliver goods," says Dan Gage (right), president of Natural Gas Vehicles for America, talking with TT's Joe Howard. More at bit.ly/TT-LOW1117. (Joseph Terry/Transport Topics)

Customers are starting to place orders for Tesla Inc.’s new all-electric Semi truck, with retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. preordering for both its U.S. and Canadian units.

Tesla unveiled its highly anticipated electric-powered semi-truck on Nov. 16, 2017. Here are its first public moments and the introduction by company co-founder Elon Musk. (Seth Clevenger/Transport Topics)

HAWTHORNE, Calif. — Tesla Inc. has unveiled its long anticipated, all-electric Class 8 tractor, marking the electric car maker’s entry into the commercial truck industry and reinventing the heavy-duty truck as we know it.