Tesla’s long-awaited electric Semi trucks may finally get their debut in 2023 when Pepsi begins rolling its fleet out across the U.S., a new report found that electric cars cost “almost” the same as their gas-powered counterparts, and NASA scraps a mission to track climate change. All this and more in The Morning Shift for Monday, December 19, 2022.

1st Gear: Tesla Trucks Might Finally be Coming

After years of will they, won’t they, Tesla finally started building its Semi trucks in the U.S. earlier this month. The automaker confirmed that production of the all-electric truck with a glitzy handover ceremony that saw it ship off the first Semi to Pepsi Co. And now, the drinks maker says it’s gearing up to send the trucks out onto the road.

According to Reuters, Pepsi plans to begin rolling out its fleet of 100 Tesla Semi trucks in the new year. In 2023, the electric trucks will begin completing deliveries for Pepsi Co. customers across the U.S., including for customers like Walmart and Kroger. Reuters reports:

PepsiCo Inc, which ordered the big trucks in 2017, is purchasing them “outright” and is also upgrading its plants, including installing four 750-kilowatt Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) charging stalls at both its Modesto and Sacramento locations in California, PepsiCo Vice President Mike O’Connell said in an interview. A $15.4 million state grant and $40,000 federal subsidy per vehicle helps offset part of the costs.