PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA) announced the expansion of its electric-powered fleet across California. In the next several months, 50 Class 8 Tesla Semi trucks will operate out of its manufacturing and distribution facility in Fresno, California, and 75 Ford E-Transit electric vans will step-change the electrification of its equipment services fleet across the state. The electric vehicle deployment will help the company progress toward its pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) goal to reach net zero emissions by 2040.
“Our fleet electrification is an important part of our pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) strategy and illustrates how sustainability is a core business strategy at PepsiCo — good for the planet, good for our business, and good for the communities we serve,” John Dean, president for PepsiCo Beverages North America, West division, said in the announcement.
PBNA's Fresno location is a 170,000-square-foot manufacturing facility with a fleet operation that distributes PepsiCo products including Pepsi, Starry, Gatorade, Rockstar, Aquafina, and more. At the facility, eight 750-kilowatt Tesla chargers and two Tesla Megapack Battery Energy Storage Systems have been installed on-site to power the electric semis.
Across all of PBNA's 13 locations in California, PBNA is deploying 75 Ford E-Transit electric vans, which will serve a variety of applications, including sales deliveries and service support.
The deployment of electric vehicles in Fresno also kicks off a job training program for students enrolled in Reedley College and Duncan Polytechnic High School. The program educating over 100 students, annually, focuses on developing hands-on job training in the field of electric trucks and infrastructure maintenance.
PepsiCo's participation in the North American Council for Freight Efficiency's (NACFE) 2023 Run on Less Electric Depot demonstrated the ability to seamlessly integrate electrified semis into PBNA's business through the Tesla Semis operating out of PBNA’s Sacramento facility. Frito-Lay North America (FLNA) also has a fleet of Tesla Semis that operate out of its Modesto facility, and FLNA's Queens, New York, facility participated in NACFE's 2023 Run on Less with a fleet of Ford E-Transits.
Expanding PBNA's electric fleet is supported by a grant provided by the California Air Resources Board, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, and the California Energy Commission as part of their California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities.
