In a press release by Frito-Lay, which is a division of PepsiCo, Inc., the company announced some good news for its sustainability goals. One part of the good news included a tidbit about the Tesla Semi.
Pepsi noted that Frito-Lay cut absolute fleet greenhouse gas emissions in half while reducing its diesel usage by 78% at its California production site. One example of the company taking steps to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 53% is that it replaced the equipment and infrastructure at the plant to be more efficient. The company utilized “nearly 60 tractors, box trucks, yard trucks or forklifts powered by electric, lithium-ion technologies or natural gas with renewable attributes.” Pepsi also stated that “the remaining 15 electric tractors expected to deploy later this year,” referring to the Tesla Semi.
Back in 2019, it was reported that Pepsi was planning to deploy 15 Tesla Semi trucks by 2021, so it’s reasonable to assume that these 15 trucks Pepsi referred to are Tesla Semi trucks. Earlier, in 2017, Pepsi indicated it planned to buy 100.
Sydney Vergis, who is the chief of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Mobile Source Control Division, shared thoughts on Frito-Lay’s progress.
“We applaud the progress Frito-Lay has achieved thus far with its Modesto site project, despite the current landscape implications with the pandemic,” said Vergis. “This project is so important to the Valley as it will improve air quality and reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions. It also aligns with the mission of CCI, putting Cap-and-Trade dollars back into communities to improve health, promote economic development, and address climate change.”
The trucking industry is one of the most polluting industries of the transportation sector. The Environmental Protection Agency has stated that the transportation sector is one of the largest contributors to anthropogenic US greenhouse gas emissions. In 2018, the EPA pointed out that the sectors with the highest greenhouse gas emissions by source were light-duty vehicles followed by medium- and heavy-duty trucks. Aircraft, other, rail, and shipping all follow behind (in that order).
Although EVs are popular now more than they have ever been, and although this technology is branching out to other transportation industries such as shipping, public transportation, and fleet vehicles, we still have a ways to go. And this is why the world is ready for the Tesla Semi — and not just the Tesla Semi but what it represents.
What The Tesla Semi Means For The Trucking Industry
Remember when Tesla first debuted its Roadster? The world was different then, and there were very few consumer EVs out there. Almost no one was taking EVs seriously back then. During those times, EVs were super expensive due to the high cost of creating them — especially the high cost of batteries.
Today, it’s a completely different story, thanks in large part to Tesla’s innovation and endurance. Tesla is the loudest voice for sustainability and electric vehicles out of all the auto manufactures and has morphed into more than just a carmaker — it’s an energy and tech company as well.
What this means for the trucking industry is that once the Tesla Semi is not just being produced but being delivered to its customers, the demand will jump and the Tesla effect, as many call it, will spread across the trucking industry just as it has in the personal mobility space.
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