May 10, 2012
PLANO, Texas, May 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The all-electric trucks introduced by PepsiCo's Frito-Lay North America division have charged their way to a million miles this month. Over the past two years, 176 all-electric trucks by Smith Electric Vehicles have been added to the Frito-Lay commercial delivery truck fleet. To date, these trucks have eliminated the need for approximately 200,000 gallons of diesel fuel.
Frito-Lay and its parent company PepsiCo have a long-running commitment to environmental sustainability. With the seventh largest privately owned fleet in the U.S. – made up of more than 20,000 trucks – Frito-Lay has set ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gases and fuel consumption, both by 50 percent, by 2020. To minimize the fleet's environmental impact, several types of vehicles have been introduced to meet the different needs of the Frito-Lay fleet. The all-electric trucks are delivery trucks used on urban routes with fewer daily miles.
Frito-Lay also announced it will purchase 100 Newton Series 2000 all-electric commercial vehicles in 2012 from Smith Electric Vehicles, bringing the total number of its electric fleet to more than 280.
"The first million miles with the electric trucks have been a journey of understanding and refining both how and where we use these vehicles, as well as providing input to help improve upon the performance for the next generation vehicle," said Mike O'Connell, senior director of fleet capability for Frito-Lay North America. "We are now in position to more quickly accelerate our strategy and grow the electric vehicle fleet."
With all electric trucks fully deployed on routes, Frito-Lay expects to reduce their fuel consumption by 500,000 gallons a year. The trucks generate zero tailpipe emissions. Electric trucks reduce fuel consumption, noise pollution and vehicle CO2 emissions, compared to traditional delivery trucks.
"As we push to make Frito-Lay's fleet the most fuel efficient commercial fleet in the U.S., we need to continue to build on our current strategy and look for options to address other types of trucks in the fleet – one of which will be compressed natural gas for our tractor fleet," continued O'Connell.
Compressed natural gas (CNG) tractors will be introduced this spring, and will be used to haul large loads. Each CNG vehicle, purchased from Freightliner, will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 23 percent, compared to diesel. With 67 CNG vehicles planned to be on route by the end of the year, Frito-Lay will eliminate the need for more than 900,000 gallons of diesel fuel annually.
Trucks using CNG:
- Emit 23 percent less greenhouse gas than diesel
- Use an abundant, domestic natural gas fuel
- Depending on fuel tank size, can travel a 300 – 740 mile range per fill up
The CNG vehicles will be used at seven Frito-Lay North America distribution centers, including: Rancho Cucamonga, CA; Irving, TX; Phoenix, AZ; Beloit, WI; Frankfort, IN; Charlotte, NC; and Casa Grande, AZ. The company piloted 18 CNG vehicles to prepare for the roll out.
About Frito-Lay
Frito-Lay North America is the $13 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate Web site, http://www.fritolay.com, the Snack Chat blog, http://www.snacks.com, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/fritolay, or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/FritoLay.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world. PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment by conserving energy and water and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.
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SOURCE Frito-Lay North America
