Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, has revealed that the oft-delayed Tesla Semi truck has finally entered in production phase, and the first vehicles will soon be delivered to the company that ordered them back in 2017.

The announcement has been years in the making since Tesla originally unveiled the semi back in November 2017.

It was planned to launch in 2019, so there is a delay of almost four years.

Musk said deliveries of the truck will begin Dec. 1, with the first Semi going to PepsiCo.

The food and beverage giant confirmed the news to Reuters, saying the vehicles will be used at two different facilities in California.

It remains unclear how quickly production will ramp up, but Musk has promised the model will have a range of around 500 miles and be “super fun to drive.”

More details are likely to come closer to launch, but the Semi features a tri-motor powertrain that delivers “instant torque and unmatched power at any speed, so drivers can safely keep up with traffic.”

The company also said the model will be able to accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 20 seconds, when fully loaded, and maintain highway-level speeds even when climbing up to a 5% grade.

More importantly for fleets, Tesla says electric refueling is roughly 2.5 times cheaper – per mile – than diesel refueling.

This could potentially save them up to $200,000 ($180,241 / €204,837) in the first three years.

The Semi also promises to minimize downtime as it can get a 70% charge in just 30 minutes.

What do you think, is this a turning point in the trucking industry?

Drop your comments below.