PepsiCo Debuts 21 Tesla Semi Trucks for Sacramento Plant

Summary:

• PepsiCo unveils 36 Tesla Semi electric trucks for use at bottling plants in Sacramento and Modesto, California
• Initial costs of most trucks funded by state and federal grants, totaling $15 million for vehicles and charging infrastructure
• California Air Resources Board aims to require all new trucks purchased to be electric by 2045

PepsiCo announced the addition of Tesla Semi electric trucks to its delivery fleet on Tuesday, officially becoming the first company globally to acquire these zero-emissions vehicles.

The company showcased 21 trucks at its Sacramento bottling plant, where they will be used for local deliveries, and an additional 15 trucks will be deployed at the FritoLay manufacturing plant in Modesto.

Back in December, PepsiCo’s FritoLay was the first to receive delivery of the Tesla Semi, which is manufactured at Giga Nevada.

Despite PepsiCo’s commitment to sustainability, a significant portion of the trucks’ initial costs was covered by state and federal grants. The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District provided $4.5 million in grants for 18 of the 21 trucks used at the bottling plant, reports The Sacramento Bee (via @tslachan).

PepsiCo received a total of $15 million in state and local grants for vehicles and charging infrastructure across both locations, as well as $40,000 per vehicle from the federal government.

The District is proud to help fund the @Tesla semis & chargers unveiled today at @PepsiCo’s South Sac facility. This project will help transition #Sacramento to a green economy & improve #airquality for our most vulnerable residents! @CaClimateInvest @AlbertoAyalaPhD @EricZGuerra pic.twitter.com/AfYMBt5ncH

— Sac Metro Air District (@AQMD) April 11, 2023

Erica Edwards, Senior Vice President for Manufacturing at PepsiCo, said, “We do need to move faster. And if you think about a company like ours that has thousands and thousands of trucks on the road, we do need help, right?” She praised the use of state and federal grants in helping PepsiCo make a more rapid transition to non-polluting vehicles.

PepsiCo has ordered 100 Tesla Semi trucks from Elon Musk’s company. There are four 750 kW Tesla chargers installed at each Sacramento and Modesto plant. FritoLay has 15 Tesla Semi trucks and together with PepsiCo’s 21 Semis, that totals 36 total trucks received.

As California moves toward requiring all new trucks to be electric by 2045, PepsiCo’s investment in Tesla Semis signals a broader shift toward sustainable transportation in the industry.