PepsiCo expands electric-powered fleet in CA

PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA) is expanding 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, CA, 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, PBNA said.

“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 said it is deploying 75 Ford E-Transit electric vans, which will serve a variety of applications, including sales deliveries and service support.

The deployment of EVs 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 electric trucks and infrastructure maintenance.

In a recent IDTechEx report, "Advanced Li-ion Battery Technologies 2024-2034: Technologies, Players, Forecasts," the company included an analysis of the latest in silicon anode developments. According to the report, maximizing energy density has been one key area of focus in electric vehicle battery development. Optimizations in cell and battery pack designs, alongside the use of higher nickel NMC and NCA cathodes, have led to steady improvement in battery energy density over the past 10-15 years. The energy density limit from current design and material iterations has largely been maximized. However, a promising contender is emerging on the horizon to offer a step-change improvement – silicon. IDTechEx forecasts the market for silicon anode material for Li-ion batteries will exceed $24 billion by 2034.