PepsiCo pre-orders 100 Tesla Semi trucks

Tesla Semi
PepsiCo put in an order reserving 100 Tesla Semi trucks, the largest order of the electric big rigs to date.  Tesla image.

Tesla Semi trucks purchase part of PepsiCo’s plan to cut GHGs

PepsiCo Inc is the latest major US company to reserve new Tesla Semi trucks.  The second-largest food and beverage company in the world has placed an order for 100 electric semi trucks, the largest Tesla big rig order to date.

The maker of Mountain Dew, Frito-Lay, Tropicana and Quaker oats products says it is looking to cut fuel costs and fleet emissions.

PepsiCo company joins Wal-Mart Stores Inc, J.B. Hunt Transport Services and Sysco Corp. in purchasing electric big rigs.

According to Reuters, companies have reserved at least 285 Tesla Semi trucks.

Despite the enthusiasm for the product shown by some companies, a number of transportation firms are passing on Tesla’s big rig, for now.

They have concerns about time required to charge the vehicle versus a diesel fill-up, range and payload capabilities.  As well, questions remain over how the market for electric commercial vehicles will develop.

PepsiCo says it will use the Tesla Semi trucks for lighter, shorter loads of beverages and food between its manufacturing and distribution facilities and direct retailers within the 500 mile range promised by Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk.

Mike O’Connell, senior director of North American supply chain at Frito-Lay, a subsidiary of PepsiCo, told Reuters the Tesla big rigs will complement PepsiCo’s fleet of nearly 10,000 semi trucks.

O’Connell says the Tesla Semis will be a key part in the company’s plan to cut greenhouse gases across its supply chain by a total of at least 20 per cent by 2030.

Neither PepsiCo nor Tesla released information on the cost of the trucks, but after first unveiling the trucks in October, Tesla asked for $5,000 for each truck pre-order.  That has since risen to $20,000 per truck.

Tesla expects its semi trucks to be in production by 2019.

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