PepsiCo, one of the world’s great purveyors of sugary soft drinks and high calorie high salt snack foods is again trumpeting its concern for the environment by re committing to a switch to electric zero emission trucks.
In what seems to ring of a major case of greenwashing, Pepsi received the first deliveries of its order for Tesla Semi trucks in early December in the USA and it revealed that it plans to make at least 100 Tesla Semi trucks operational next year,
PepsiCo’s supply chain service and distribution vice president, Mike O’Connell said that the company I will be buying Tesla Semi class-8 logistics trucks as well as setting up Megacharger stations at its factory locations across the USA.
According to Pepsi it is setting up four 750-kilowatt charging stalls at its Sacremento and Modesto factory facilities in California to cater for the electric Tesla trucks which will at this stage only operate in California, clearly to meet the strict emission rules being imposed by that state.
Pepsi’s snack food subsidiary, Frito-Lay will also be using the Tesla Semis for delivery of Frito-Lay products toto major customers such as Walmart, Albertsons, and Krogers.
The first two Tesla Semis to be delivered were finished in vivid Pepsi and Frito Lay liveries while both trucks have been plying public roads in California running between Sacramento and Modesto.
Reports are that the performance of the Tesla Semis has been impressive with the truck’s tri-motor powertrain and the massive battery pack fitted delivering car like acceleration.
According to Pepsi executive, Mike O’Connell the trucks are easily handling the 684-km trip between the Sacramento and Modesto factories, competing the trip with using about 80 per cent of the battery capacity while it is recharged to around full in about 35 to 45 minutes.
They are recharged via 750-kilowatt DC fast charging Megachargers at both ends of the journey.
Pepsi has revelled that it will base 15 of the Tesla Semis at the Modesto facility with 21 of the trucks at the Sacramento base in 2023.
The Tesla Semis are being produced at the company’s at its Gigafactory in Nevada. Tesla has not revealed either the battery capacity, or the pay load capacity of the trucks and trailer.
