【2010 Archives】

Walmart already wants to take Tesla's new semi-truck for a spin.

010 Archivesretail giant told CNBC on Friday that it's “excited to be among the first” to test the new vehicle, which was announced for the first time on Thursday night.

"We believe we can learn how this technology performs within our supply chain, as well as how it could help us meet some of our long-term sustainability goals, such as lowering emissions,” a spokesperson for the company told the network.

Tesla's ambitions in the trucking industry have been common knowledge for some time, but CEO Elon Musk finally unveiled details of the automaker's big rig at an event on Thursday. The vehicle is able to run for 500 miles on a single charge, travel on autopilot within a fleet of other trucks, and accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in five seconds.

Walmart is hoping the Tesla Semi's energy efficiency can help it reach its own internal sustainability goals. The retailer hasn't said how many tractor trailers it plans to order, but it currently operates a fleet of 6,000 trucks across North America.

"We believe we can learn how this technology performs within our supply chain, as well as how it could help us meet some of our long-term sustainability goals, such as lowering emissions," Walmart said in a statement to CNBC.

Walmart isn't the only big client jumping on the Tesla Semi bandwagon early. Trucking company J.B. Hunt Transport Services also said it preordered "multiple" trucks on Friday.

"We believe electric trucks will be most beneficial on local and dray routes, and we look forward to utilizing this new, sustainable technology," J.B. Hunt CEO John Roberts said in a statement to The Street.

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