In 2017, Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk unveiled an electric big rig designed to compete with diesel trucks. Production was supposed to start in 2019, but it was delayed by almost a decade.
Deadlines got pushed and rivals piled in. Then a reversal in U.S. electric vehicle policy raised fresh doubts about demand. The truck is finally rolling out to customers, and it lands at a moment when truckers and Tesla investors are both paying close attention.