(Click to enlarge.) The batteries extend from beneath the driver's feet to the rear set of wheels on the cab. Source: Tesla

FedEx Corp. says it has placed a reservation for 20 Tesla Semi trucks. The electric trucks are scheduled to begin production in 2019 and will be operated by FedEx Freight, its less-than-truckload unit.

Tesla says that the base price for a truck with a 300-mile range will be $150,000, and $180,000 for a 500-mile range. It says the trucks will consume less than 2 kilowatt-hours of electricity per mile and may save operators more than $200,000 in fuel costs over a two-year period.

The truck was introduced in November 2017. In addition to FedEx, United Parcel Service has ordered 125, PepsiCo has ordered 100, Sysco 50, Anheuser-Busch 40, Wal-mart 15 and DHL 10.

Tesla says the truck will not break down for a million miles because it is capable of running on as few as two of its four independent motors.

The lithium-ion batteries will occupy a space that starts under the floor below the drivers' feet and extends to the back set of wheels on the cab. Reports say that the batteries recharge to 80 percent — equal to around 400 miles of range — in 30 minutes.

Tesla says the truck can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in five seconds, or in 20 seconds when loaded with an 80,000 lb. load, the maximum it can carry on U.S. roads.