Tesla Inc (TSLA) stock surged on Thursday as investors shrugged off the latest delay in the Model 3 production ramp in favor of a bullish analyst report on the company's electric semi. The analyst said after pitting the Tesla semi-truck versus diesel trucks that fleet owners may find it only takes about two years for the electric truck to pay for itself.

Image source: Tesla via Twitter (screenshot)

Tesla semi-truck versus diesel trucks

Piper Jaffray analyst Alexander Potter is one of the few analysts left with a bullish rating on Tesla stock, which he rates at Overweight. Thus, it should come as no surprise that he offered a rave review of the company's upcoming electric truck. At least he brought some solid numbers to back up his view of the electric semi, unlike some other analysts who are bullish on Tesla stock and its semi. In fact, this model is one of the most thorough considerations for Tesla's semi that I've seen since it was unveiled late last year.

In his report on the Tesla semi-truck versus diesel trucks, he explained why he agrees with the EV maker in saying that electric trucks can indeed handle long-haul trucking. He noted that those who disagree simply say that electric batteries are too heavy or too expensive, but the debate goes deeper than that. To put together his comparison of the Tesla semi-truck versus diesel trucks, he spoke with industry contacts and studied “online physics tutorials” to determine about how long it might take for Tesla's truck to pay for itself.

Tesla semi-truck could pay for itself in two years, but…

According to Potter, it's possible for fleet owners to recoup the price of the Tesla truck in only two years, although he noted that many assumptions must be made in order to achieve such a fast payback. He noted that investors were understandably skeptical when Tesla management revealed their electric semi and the claims they made along with it.