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Can Tesla Save the Electric Truck?; AI Boom Drives New Warehouse Demand By Paul Berger | WSJ Logistics Report
Can Tesla's Semi do for trucking what the Model 3 did to popularize electric cars?
Tesla will begin shipping mass-produced battery-electric Semis from its Nevada Gigafactory this summer. The WSJ Logistics Report writes that the new big rig is generating excitement among truckers and heavy-duty charging companies
betting on a zero-emission future for trucks.
Drivers who have hauled loads with the Semi in pilot tests say the rig has several advantages to competitors. It costs about $100,000 less than other battery-electric trucks, charges four times as fast and can travel twice as far between charging. It also brings a new design that places the driver in the center of the cab with plenty of screens and software to help drivers navigate the road.
Still, the Semi faces hurdles familiar to skeptics of zero-emission technologies. Dedicated public fast-charging infrastructure for the Semi is yet to be built out. And the truck costs twice as much as a diesel big rig, meaning carriers are still reliant on grants to make the truck affordable.
When California recently reopened a voucher program for zero-emission trucks it sold out quickly, according to Calstart. In a positive sign for Tesla, most of the orders were for Semis.
Federal safety regulators are sharpening their focus on Tesla's automated driving-assistance system
and its ability to handle poor roadway conditions. (WSJ) Makers of electric-vehicle batteries are pivoting to energy storage for data centers and utilities as EV sales wane . (WSJ) Uber will invest up to $1.25 billion to partner in a robotaxi service
with Rivian Automotive. (WSJ) Quotable CONTENT FROM: PENSKE Gain Momentum. Gain Ground With Penske Logistics.
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Supply Chain Strategies
The massive build-out of data centers is fueling a surge in demand for new warehouses. The WSJ Logistics Report's Liz Young reports that DHL Supply Chain is opening 10 North American warehouses this year to serve data-center operators and suppliers of the components needed to run the high-tech buildings . DHL has signed deals with some of the world's biggest cloud-service providers, known as hyperscalers, as well as equipment makers and other suppliers.
The expansion is a sign of the growing demand for logistics infrastructure and services to support the frenzied construction of data centers needed to train and run artificial-intelligence models. Other logistics providers, such as GXO Logistics and Prologis, are also racing to capitalize on the data-center boom, from building new facilities to handling shipments and storage of needed components. DHL's new warehouses will assemble and configure equipment in data-center racks and transport the racks to data centers.
Number of the Day In Other News
World trade flows and economic growth are set to slow more sharply
than previously expected, according to the World Trade Organization. (WSJ)
Central banks across Europe held interest rates steady . (WSJ)
Manufacturing activity in the Philadelphia area picked up in March . (WSJ)
The U.S. intelligence community has dialed back concerns that China could invade Taiwan
by next year. (WSJ)
Jeff Bezos is in talks to raise $100 billion for a fund that would buy manufacturing companies
and use AI to accelerate automation. (WSJ)
Genco Shipping & Trading rejected a revised takeover proposal
from fellow dry bulk shipping company Diana Shipping. (WSJ)
Port terminal operator CK Hutchison cited intensifying geopolitical tensions
as it reported a decline in 2025 profit. (WSJ)
Tens of thousands of seafarers are caught in the crossfire
of drones and electronic warfare in the Middle East. (Bloomberg)
The International Maritime Organization is working on a framework to get seafarers out
of the Gulf warzone. (Lloyd's List)
Oman's Port of Salalah resumed operations
after APM Terminals suspended activity following a drone strike. (Container Management)
An Amazon warehouse in Oklahoma is facing accusations of forcing delivery drivers outside during a tornado warning . (KFOR-TV)
Podcast
On this week's Dow Jones Risk Journal Podcast: Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz is having an immediate impact on energy prices, but a prolonged crisis could have devastating effects on global trade. Also, regulators and states are locked in a battle over who should supervise prediction markets. James Rundle hosts.
You can listen to new episodes every Friday on Apple Podcasts , Spotify
and Amazon .
About Us
Mark R. Long is editor of WSJ Logistics Report. Reach him at [mark.long@wsj.com].
Follow the WSJ Logistics Report team on LinkedIn: Mark R. Long , Liz Young and Paul Berger .
This article is a text version of a Wall Street Journal newsletter published earlier today.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 20, 2026 07:02 ET (11:02 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
