Frito-Lay, Transportation and the Environment

(Image: Frito-Lay)

PepsiCo has announced that it will be replacing all of its diesel-powered freight equipment at its Frito-Lay manufacturing facility in Modesto, California, with zero- and near-zero emissions trucks and transporters.

That facility—which measures 500,000 square feet—is one of Frito’s largest in the nation.

Why This Is a Bigger Deal Than You Might Think

The “Modesto project” is a $30.8-million undertaking, with funding coming not only from the company but from California Climate Investments (CCI), the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, American Natural Gas, and an in-kind contribution from Café Coop.

Note that the plan calls for the elimination of all diesel-powered vehicles. All.

Real Trucks & Those Promised

The vehicles to be used are a combination of those powered by natural gas and electricity.

(Image: BYD)

According to Electrek.co the fleet will consist of:

• Fifteen heavy-duty Tesla battery electric tractors
• Six Peterbilt 220EV battery electric box trucks
• Three BYD 8Y battery electric yard tractors
• Twelve Crown battery electric forklifts powered by lithium-ion technologies
• Thirty-Eight Volvo tractors with natural gas-powered engines

Why Bother?

"Frito-Lay is continuously looking for ways to reduce our environmental impact," says Michael O'Connell, vice president of supply chain, PepsiCo.

And this will allow them to do that.

What’s More. . .

“We hope this work will become an operating model for all of our facilities across the U.S., and that we act as the catalyst to accelerate the adoption of alternative fuel vehicles across the industry," O’Connell says.

Meaning that this is something of a test bed that will have real-world consequences for snack-food lovers who like to breathe clean air.

Who else?

In addition to the aforementioned contributors to the Zero- and Near-Zero Emission Freight Facility Project, other participants include; BYD Motors; CALSTART; University of California, Riverside CE-CERT; ChargePoint; Crown, Gladstein Neandross & Associates; Meritor; Peterbilt; Project Clean Air; Tesla; and Volvo.

PepsiCo, incidentally, supports the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.