Catalyst Mobility and Smart Freight Centre announced on September 22, 2026, that ZET SCALE’s initial U.S. procurement covers 2,500 battery-electric Class 8 trucks. Tesla was selected as the lead original equipment manufacturer (OEM), the company that makes the vehicle; Kenworth, RIDE and Volvo are also named as secondary OEMs.
How the procurement is organized
ZET SCALE brings shipper demand together and coordinates the procurement. Tesla was selected after a competitive request for proposals that assessed price, range, charging capability and production capacity. Carriers can use Kenworth, RIDE and Volvo as secondary options for particular operating needs.
ZET Financial is set to issue the purchase order and make trucks available to participating fleets through a fair-market-value lease program. Microsoft and PepsiCo are founding shippers, with different levels of engagement and demand signaling. Microsoft sustainability director Nico De Golia said the company’s participation signals demand for electric trucks used to move cloud infrastructure.
Planned freight hubs and longer-term ambition
The initial deployments are planned around ten U.S. freight hubs: Los Angeles in Southern California, Stockton in Northern California, Bakersfield in Central California, Seattle/Tacoma, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, the Chicago area, Atlanta, and the Northern New Jersey/Newark/New York City area. ZET SCALE also plans to advise on charging infrastructure in connection with the program.
The alliance’s longer-term ambition is to expand the model to 10,000 or more electric trucks. Tesla Semi production deliveries in Nevada are a separate development, covered in our report on the Nevada handovers.
