Tesla's flashy new electric Semi truck isn't very practical for most freight haulers under pressure to reduce their carbon footprint.

Why it matters: Driving what CEO Elon Musk calls "the most bad-ass rig on the road" doesn't matter to commercial truck operators, who are worried about hitting tougher emissions targets as well as long-term reliability and total cost of ownership.

• Other technologies, including natural gas, hydrogen fuel cells and even a proposal to use cleaner-burning, plant-based fuels in traditional diesel engines could offer better solutions.

Driving the news: Tesla last week delivered the company's first heavy-duty Semi to PepsiCo's Modesto, Calif., factory.

• After taking delivery, PepsiCo completed its first cargo run by delivering snacks from its Frito-Lay subsidiary to those attending Tesla's launch event in Nevada.
• Musk said the Semi completed a 500-mile drive on a single charge, with the Semi and cargo weighing in at 81,000 total pounds.

Yes, but: Tesla omitted crucial information, including the truck's empty weight — an important consideration for measuring its efficiency.

• A Tesla Semi "fully loaded" with Doritos can go farther than a truck packed with cases of Pepsi.
• "Not very impressive — moving a cargo of chips (average weight per pack 52 grams) cannot in any way be said to be definitive proof of concept," said Oliver Dixon, senior analyst at consultancy Guidehouse, per Reuters.

Be smart: There's a basic physics problem with electric trucks...

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