PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA) has expanded 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, 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+ 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,” says John Dean, president of PBNA’s 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 and Aquafina. 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 PBNA’s 13 locations in California, the firm is deploying 75 Ford E-Transit electric vans, which will serve a variety of applications including sales deliveries and service support.
Deployment of EVs in Fresno also kicks off a job training program for students enrolled in Reedley College and Duncan Polytechnic High School. Educating over 100 students annually, this program 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 Semis operating out of PBNA’s Sacramento facility. Frito-Lay North America (FLNA) also has a fleet of Semis that operate out of its 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. This statewide initiative 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.