Senior leadership from PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay North America division was joined last week by California Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr.; Matt Rodriquez, secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency; and Gregory Winterbottom, chairman of the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee, to announce the growth of Frito-Lay’s California electric truck fleet.
Once all of the vehicles are deployed by the end of 2012, California will be home to 105 all-electric delivery trucks, the largest deployment in any state. By the end of this year, Frito-Lay will have more than 275 electric trucks deployed in the United States, making Frito-Lay the largest commercial fleet of all-electric trucks in the country. In May of this year, Frito-Lay reached a milestone of one million all-electric miles driven.
Frito-Lay said the initial rollout of all-electric trucks in California already has eliminated the need for an estimated 50,000 gallons of fuel and 1 million pounds of greenhouse gases. When all 105 trucks are deployed by the end of this year, Frito-Lay expects to eliminate 200,000 gallons of fuel and nearly 4.5 million pounds of greenhouse gases annually in the state of California. The new all-electric trucks will operate from distribution centers located throughout California: Alameda, City of Industry, La Mirada, Manteca, San Diego, San Jose and Torrance.
“With the continued introduction of electric vehicles into our fleet, Frito-Lay continues to assert its commitment to environmental sustainability,” said Leslie Starr Keating, senior vice president, supply chain for Frito-Lay North America. “Nearly 20 percent of our medium-heavy-duty delivery trucks in the state of California are slated to be transitioned to all-electric vehicles. We have seen the accelerated growth and acquisition of this innovative technology because of the support from California. It’s these private and public partnerships that create the momentum that alternative fuel vehicles need to become even more competitive.”
To support the introduction of all-electric vehicles to the state of California, Frito-Lay received a grant from the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee, specifically in the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The company also received funding from the California Energy Commission and the Hybrid Truck Bus Voucher Incentive Project from California Air Resources Board, administered by CalStart.
In the U.S., Frito-Lay hopes to reduce its total fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2020, compared to 2007 baseline. This effort supports PepsiCo’s commitments to environmental sustainability, particularly in fuel and greenhouse gas reduction. Across PepsiCo, in addition to electric trucks, the company has introduced 267 hybrid-electric trucks and 67 compressed natural gas tractors; 176 hybrid-electric vehicles and 14 CNG tractors are scheduled to operate in California.
“Frito-Lay’s investment in cleaner, more sustainable transportation serves as an excellent example of a major U.S. corporation making a significant public commitment to the reduction of greenhouse gases and reduced energy consumption,” said Winterbottom. “The Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee applauds Frito-Lay’s leadership in this area.”
Once all of the electric trucks are fully deployed across the United States, Frito-Lay said it will eliminate the need for 500,000 gallons of fuel annually. According to the company, the all-electric delivery trucks:
• Can run up to 80 miles on a single charge;
• Have zero tailpipe emissions;
• Emit 75 percent less greenhouse gases than diesel;
• Operate virtually silent, eliminating noise pollution; and
• Provide a long-term economically viable solution to traditional fuel sources.
