American multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation Pepsi has made use of Tesla’s Semi trucks to drive its sustainability aspirations forward.
In order to reduce its carbon footprint, the beverage giant has deployed 21 Tesla Semis, in conjunction with battery forklifts, Ford eTransit vans, and other battery electric vehicles (BEVs), to facilitate its logistical operations at a key plant in Sacramento, California.
The multi-year initiative is aimed at ushering in a greener era, with Pepsi’s use of Semi together with other BEVs to manage the logistical demands of its northern California facility.
“Battery electric vehicles are essential for us,” Amanda DeVoe, Pepsi’s Transformation and Strategy Director, said. “It’s really grounded in our duty cycle, i.e., how we use our assets because a good majority of our business is anchored in going to market, we deliver predominantly under 100 miles on a daily basis, and we run those vehicles around 12 hours a day.”
For DeVoe, the key lies in optimising the capabilities of electric vehicles for the specific demands of short-distance travel, exemplified by the route from Pepsi’s distribution hub in Sacramento to its delivery points. Out of the fleet of 21 Tesla Semis stationed at the Sacramento facility, three are earmarked for “dedicated long-haul” routes, ranging from 250 to 450 miles.
Dejan Antunović, Pepsi’s electrification program manager added: “On the trip back [from Sacramento] to Nevada, we’re able to, actually zero out in terms of the state of charge improving due to regenerative braking…it extends the range for us in a way that is invaluable.”
The Megacharger infrastructure enables the Semis to swiftly reach a 95% state of charge within a mere 20 to 30 minutes of charging.
PepsiCo, which hires over 300,000 employees, has set goals to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by more than 40% across its value chain by 2030. This includes a 75% reduction in emissions from its direct operations (Scope 1 and 2) and a 40% reduction in indirect emissions from its value chain (Scope 3). PepsiCo is also committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2040.
