Elon Musk: Tesla to reveal pickup, semi trucks

NEW YORK — Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Thursday that the electric-car maker would reveal plans for a heavy commercial truck in September and show off a pickup truck within two years.

The plans could stir up the red-hot American market for highly profitable pickups and introduce a new wrinkle into the freight hauling business, which some believe is poised for a shakeup with the prospect of self-driving trucks in the next decade.

Musk revealed the plans on Twitter, where he also said the company would reveal the production version of its Model 3 mass-market electric car in July. That car is set to roll out later this year.

His remarks come three days after Tesla briefly surpassed General Motors as the most valuable American automaker, upping the ante for a company that must deliver the goods for salivating investors. Tesla shares closed Thursday at $304, up 2.4% or $7.16.

"Team has done an amazing job" on the truck he calls the Tesla Semi, he said in his tweet, without revealing details. "Seriously next level."

In 2016, Musk wrote that the company would "deliver a substantial reduction in the cost of cargo transport, while increasing safety and making it really fun to operate."

Although the plans are buzzworthy, delivering a large commercial truck to the market would be quite a feat. Tesla is currently not equipped to manufacture them. The company also doesn't have the capacity to make pickup trucks. Then, there's the issue of building a customer base for them.

"It's a big, big challenge," said Jerry Hirsch, editor of Trucks.com, about Tesla's plans. On the commercial truck side, he notes that major truck makers like Germany's Daimler are already working on electric-powered trucks.

It's a challenge because the huge batteries that power the truck add weight that cut potential payload. Plus, truck operators need a place to recharge them. Hirsch said they potentially would be practical for container yards in ports, or distribution centers where they can be centrally recharged and trucks travel relatively short distances.

A few companies are already working on electric pickups, Hirsch said, and there's a market. "There's a lot of interest from utilities, government and other fleet operators in electric pickups," he added.

Contributing: Chris Woodyard

Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey.