The first Tesla Megachargers have arrived at Frito-Lay’s facility in Modesto, California, just in time for the first Tesla Semis to be delivered to PepsiCo later this month.

We first learned this facility was going to be receiving Megachargers when permit applications for their installation were uncovered in May last year.

In November the permit was finally issued, with Tesla beginning construction just a few weeks later.

Another big step in the construction process took place today with the unboxing of the first Megachargers.

In photos taken this afternoon and provided exclusively to Drive Tesla by one of our readers Ben Blackburn, we can see one Megacharger out in the open ready to be installed, with another two still in their packaging.
All of the electrical appears to have been completed, with a bank of 8 Green Line High Efficiency Transformers, Megacharger boxes, and control/breaker cabinets for the system already installed.

A large Megapack battery storage system has also been installed.
Based on the configuration of the Giga Nevada Megachargers, it looks like this one will have 4 stalls once the work has been completed.

Tesla Megacharger Power Output

Tesla has previously said the Megachargers will deliver peak rates of up to 1 megawatt (MW). In what is becoming a familiar pattern, the automaker seems to have sandbagged that estimate.

According to information provided to Drive Tesla, the Megachargers will actually charge at up 1.5MW, 50% higher than originally anticipated.

Delivering that much power generates a lot of heat, so in order to keep things manageable the system will use new immersion cooling technology, the exact details of which couldn’t be shared at this time.

PepsiCo Tesla Semi Deliveries

PepsiCo surprised everyone with a press release in March 2021 saying they were going be taking delivery of 15 Tesla Semis before the end of the year.

Then in November PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta reiterated the position, even though Tesla had said production of the Semi had been delayed until 2023 due to supply constraints.

After receiving these photos we were able to confirm with one of our sources that PepsiCo has been told to expect to receive all 15 Tesla Semis before the end of January.

Tesla has been manufacturing them since early December at Giga Nevada. Two brand new Semis were spotted outside the factory this week.

Depending on who you talk to, electric vehicles are either on the verge of going mainstream, or they already are. There's certainly a push from most automakers to go electric, but are buyers in the United States ready for that step? A recent study from Deloitte suggests the answer is no for a majority of new car shoppers. At least not right away.

Deloitte has offered a deep-dive report on the global automotive landscape since 2010, and this year's study takes a look at electrification, among other things. More than 26,000 people in 25 countries were surveyed, and the takeaway for US new car shoppers is that internal combustion still rules the day. 69 percent of those surveyed said they want a gasoline or diesel engine without any electrification in their next new car. 17 percent are okay with a traditional hybrid, but only 5 percent are interested in a plug-in hybrid. Similarly, 5 percent said they would consider a pure EV. 4 percent are listed as choosing "other."

With the popularity of fullsize pickup trucks in the US market, the data certainly isn't out-of-place. That's especially true considering there are very few options for hybrid or electric trucks, with the Ford F-150 Lightning and Chevrolet Silverado EV being unveiled only recently and still not available for purchase.

US buyers aren't the only ones still favoring a combustion-powered car for the near future. The survey lists Southeast Asia as 66 percent for gas or diesel cars, with India and China both coming in at 58 percent. Germany trends the other direction at 49 percent, followed by Japan at 39 percent. South Korea is the most electric-friendly region with only 37 percent choosing internal combustion for future vehicle purchases. Even then, only 24 percent favor a pure EV, versus 35 percent for some form of hybrid.

The survey identifies concerns over range and charging networks as primary reasons for buyers shying away from electricity. However, with several automakers pledging to offer electric-only vehicles in the next 10 or so years, buyers may soon have little choice when it comes to a new car purchase

As an Afro-American, Valerie Capers Workman must have been at odds defending Tesla against Owen Diaz. Courts ruled that the former contract worker was a racism victim and that Tesla should pay him $136.9 million for emotional distress and punitive damages. The vice president of people said it was unfair. Now, Workman is leaving Tesla.
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The now-former Tesla executive told Bloomberg she would join career-network firm Handshake next week as CLO (chief legal officer). As exciting a business as it may be, the move suggests that working for Tesla carries a burden that the standard speech of gratitude for the lessons learned fails to hide.

After all, Tesla’s market cap classifies it as one of the most valuable companies in the world. The EV maker is opening two factories this year, one in Grünheide, Germany, and one in Austin, Texas. For a human resources executive in a top position, this would be a challenge to live for. Yet, Workman gave up on it to join a much smaller company.

It may have to do with Workman’s professional goals. She joined Tesla as an attorney in 2018 and became the vice president of people in July 2020, reporting directly to Elon Musk. As the new CLO of Handshake, she is back to what made her join Tesla in the first place.

Whatever her reasons were, the fact is that Tesla now needs a new vice president for people very close to opening these two new plants. Hiring people for Grünheide has proven to be a massive challenge. The company is at odds with the influential German metalworkers union, and it is offering candidates a 20% lower wage in exchange for stock options and bonuses.

In the U.S., Tesla is being sued for racism and sexual harassment cases in Fremont. A Tesla employee murdered another worker in the Fremont parking lot on December 13. Regardless of why Workman decided to leave Tesla, it is clear she did not manage to improve things while she was in charge. We’ll watch closely if the ones who accept replacing her will be more successful.

Yes, it’s true that the Ford F-150 remained the most popular vehicle sold in America last year. No surprise. It has been for 40 years. In fact, the F-150 was the most popular new and used vehicle sold in America last year. Ford moved 726,004 F-150s out showroom doors in 2021, making it the top seller by over 150,000 units. The Ram 1500 finally moved up from third to second with 569,388 and the Chevrolet Silverado fell to third with 519,774.

Of course, if you combine Chevy Silverado’s 519,774 and GMC Sierra’s 248,924, you get 768,698, which beats Ford by over 40,000 units. So General Motors beat Ford, but only if you think of the Silverado and Sierra as the same thing, which they kind of are. The marketing departments don’t want you to think so, but the sales guys do. Go ahead and debate that amongst yourselves for the rest of the day.

Last year was the first time a Tesla—yes a Tesla—cracked the top 20 best-selling vehicles in the country. The humble crossover Model Y snuck in at 178,732 sales in 2021, an impressive feat for anyone who has been following Tesla’s rise to manufacturing competence over the years. Here’s the list of 2021 new vehicle sales in the U.S., as gathered by Cox Automotive:

1. Ford F-150—726,004 sold
2. Ram 1500—569,388 sold
3. Chevy Silverado—519,774 sold
4. Toyota RAV4—407,739 sold
5. Honda CR-V—361,271 sold
6. Toyota Camry—313,795 sold
7. Nissan Rogue—285,602 sold
8. Jeep Grand Cherokee—264,444 sold
9. Toyota Highlander—264,128 sold
10. Honda Civic—263,787 sold
11. Toyota Tacoma—252,520 sold
12. Toyota Corolla—248,993 sold
13. GMC Sierra—248,924 sold
14. Ford Explorer—219,871
15. Jeep Wrangler—204,609 sold
16. Honda Accord—202,676 sold
17. Tesla Model Y—178,732 sold
18. Mazda CX-5—168,448 sold
19. Chevy Equinox—165,323 sold
20. Subaru Forester—154,723 sold