PepsiCo is planning to deploy 100 Tesla Semis in 2023 that it purchased in 2017, and will begin delivering products to customers such as Walmart and Kroger, PepsiCo Vice President Mike O’Connell said on Dec. 16.
In an interview with Reuters, O’Connell added the company was buying the large all-electric trucks “outright” and is upgrading its plants. He said this includes the installation of four 750-kilowatt Tesla charging stalls at its Modesto and Sacramento locations in California.
“It’s a great starting point to electrify,” he said. “Like any early technology, the incentives help us build out the program.”
He said there were several development and infrastructure costs. Although the company didn’t share details on the price of the trucks when asked, O’Connell said it was a good investment.
“We keep the trucks for a million miles, seven years. The operating costs over time will pay back,” he said.
PepsiCo plans to begin rolling out the Tesla Semis in the central U.S. and then the East Coast. O’Connell also said Tesla didn’t help pay for the megachargers for the vehicles, but it provided design and engineering services for the facilities.
The megachargers are equipped with solar and battery storage systems. O'Connell said it will take 35 to 45 minutes to recharge a Tesla Semi after a 425-mile trip carrying Frito-Lay products, which should bring the battery down to around 20%.
