PURCHASE, N.Y. — PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA) is expanding its electric-powered fleet across The Golden State.
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, according to a news release.
PepsiCo officials say the electric vehicle deployment will help the company progress toward its ambitious 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,” said John Dean, President for PepsiCo Beverages North America, West Division.
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 onsite 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,” according to the news release. “Frito-Lay North America (FLNA) also has a fleet of Tesla Semis that operate out of their Modesto, Calif. 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.
Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and raised in East Texas, John Worthen returned to his home state to attend college in 1998 and decided to make his life in The Natural State. Worthen is a 20-year veteran of the journalism industry and has covered just about every topic there is. He has a passion for writing and telling stories. He has worked as a beat reporter and bureau chief for a statewide newspaper and as managing editor of a regional newspaper in Arkansas. Additionally, Worthen has been a prolific freelance journalist for two decades, and has been published in several travel magazines and on travel websites.
