Image: Andy Alfaro/The Modesto Bee

PepsiCo's Modesto Frito-Lay plant showcased its newly received Tesla Semis and its eco-friendly fleet at a special event. The company shared its achievements in the field of sustainability of its operations, which became possible, among other things, thanks to the Tesla Semis.

The Frito-Lay plant in Modesto, CA on Wednesday showed off its all-electric Tesla Semis, which were used commercially for the first time by PepsiCo, reports The Modesto Bee. The $30.8 million multi-stakeholder environmental project at the Modesto snack food factory was first unveiled over three years ago. Back then, in 2019, the Tesla Semi prototype was delivered to the site.

NEWS: Modesto Frito-Lay plant shows off @Tesla Semis, sustainable fleet as part of $30.8M project.

PepsiCo says the tech upgrades at their Modesto plant have resulted in a 91% reduction in green house gas emissions from direct fleet operations.

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In 2017, PepsiCo placed an order for 100 Tesla Semis. The move was part of the giant's efforts to reduce fuel costs and emissions from its fleet. In 2019, PepsiCo announced that 15 Tesla Semis will be used at its Frito-Lay manufacturing site in Modesto. All electric trucks scheduled for this location have now been delivered, according to PepsiCo Vice President Mike O'Connell. The event was attended by six Semis, some of which are painted in Frito-Lay yellow-orange colors.

“We're just getting started. This project in Modesto doesn’t exist in a vacuum,” said Steven Williams, CEO of PepsiCo Foods North America, which is Frito-Lay’s parent company. “It’s part of a much larger ambition for PepsiCo to use fewer precious resources and help build a stronger sustainable future for everyone.”

On December 1, Tesla delivered 36 Semis to PepsiCo and the remaining 64 are due to be delivered this year. The company has already installed four 750kW Megachargers at its Modesto and Sacramento locations. Of those already delivered, 15 are in use in Modesto and the other 21 in Sacramento. All 100 PepsiCo Semi trucks are 500-mile versions. As of now, Tesla has not announced when it will begin production of the 300-mile version. O'Connell said that once the manufacturer starts selling them, PepsiCo will definitely include them in its fleet. The company plans to deploy Semis in the central US and then on the East Coast.

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