PepsiCo announced on Tuesday that it would expand its fleet of electric vehicles in California, deploying 50 Class 8 Tesla Semi trucks and 75 Ford E-Transit electric vans at its facilities in the state over the next several months. The beverage maker stated that this move would help “step-change” the electrification of its equipment services fleet across California as the company aims to reach its goal of net zero emissions by 2040.
PepsiCo initially placed an order for 100 Tesla Semis in 2017, making it the biggest public order for the vehicles at the time. However, a Reuters report in April revealed that Pepsi was only using 36 of the 100 trucks ordered, indicating a shortfall in the delivery of the trucks.
The newly announced Tesla semi trucks will operate from PepsiCo’s Fresno, California manufacturing facility.
Pepsi stated that it is partly funding the expansion with a grant provided by the California Air Resources Board, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, and the California Energy Commission.
Apart from that, PepsiCo is set to make a significant investment of over €200 million ($217 million) in its crisps manufacturing facility located in Veurne, north-west Belgium. This move will create approximately 150 new job opportunities.
The Veurne site is responsible for producing popular snacks and crisps, including Lay’s, Doritos, and Cheetos. With this investment, PepsiCo plans to increase its output by 35 percent, reaching an annual production capacity of 115,000 tonnes. According to a statement, the facility currently produces around two million bags of snacks each day.
As a result of the investment, the number of employees at the site, which PepsiCo describes as “one of its largest chip and snack production sites in Europe,” will increase to around 800. PepsiCo will also construct a new warehouse facility as part of this injection of funds.
Miet Delmotte, general manager of PepsiCo’s Belgium and Luxembourg business, said, “We are investing significantly in a strong future for our Veurne plant, one of PepsiCo’s largest chip factories in Europe. Due to its strategic location in Belgium, between France, the UK and the Netherlands, we are resolutely choosing our Veurne factory for these significant investments.”
She further added, “Sustainability clearly takes centre-stage in our future plans. A large portion of the investments will be dedicated to reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and optimising water usage.”