This past Thursday (6 October), Elon Musk tweeted that Tesla will be delivering their first electric trucks to food and beverage giant Pepsi on 1 December.
It came amidst the usual “oohs” and “aahs” that accompany any announcement by Musk, who seems to be revered as a demi-god by some. The only problem is that five years have elapsed since he initially announced that Tesla would be introducing electric trucks to the market and in this period other manufacturers seem to have been quietly getting on with introducing their own electric models in the same category.
Most notably was Amazon who started rolling out electric Rivian delivery vehicles as far back as June. Amazon’s aim is to have thousands of these vehicles in hundreds of US cities by the end of the year, which, when considered, casts considerable shade on Musk’s announcement last Thursday.
In Germany, Amazon is also in the forefront, in this case acquiring 20 Volvo FH Electric trucks that they hope will be fully operational by the end of the year. Again, this has been in the pipeline long before Musk’s recent Tweet.
Even South Africa is not lagging. KDG Logistics recently signed a Letter of Intent to purchase two Volvo FM 4x2 Electric Truck Tractors and these are expected to arrive during the second quarter of 2023.
The race for a share in this market is well advanced, and the South African-born innovator’s company does not have a runaway lead, despite what he might want his social media followers to believe.
Some industry specialists said the writing was on the wall for Nissan’s Rosslyn plant after the first rumours surfaced at the beginning of last year about a possible closure as part of the manufacturer’s global restructuring plan.
MISA, the Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA), welcomes Chery’s investment in South Africa with the acquisition of Nissan’s historic production plant in Rosslyn, Pretoria, which will offer employment to the majority of Nissan’s affected employees.
Nissan has revealed key details of the all new Nissan Tekton, a compact SUV that will form the centrepiece of the brand’s upcoming product rollout and is expected to arrive in South Africa during 2026.
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I have bad reflexes. I was once run over by a car being pushed by two guys
Woody Allen
Some industry specialists said the writing was on the wall for Nissan’s Rosslyn plant after the first rumours surfaced at the beginning of last year about a possible closure as part of the manufacturer’s global restructuring plan.
MISA, the Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA), welcomes Chery’s investment in South Africa with the acquisition of Nissan’s historic production plant in Rosslyn, Pretoria, which will offer employment to the majority of Nissan’s affected employees.
At 39 years old, professional motorcycle rider Clint Seller has claimed the 2025 SunBet ZX10 Masters Cup Championship, adding yet another trophy to an already impressive collection.
