Charged EVs | Frito-Lay’s “sustainability showcase” features Tesla Semis, electric trucks, solar+storage

Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo, is transforming its Modesto, California, facility into “a showcase for sustainable manufacturing, warehousing and distribution technologies.”

The 80-acre, 500,000-square-foot Modesto site, one of Frito-Lay’s largest manufacturing facilities in the US, features several classes of EVs, along with on-site solar energy generation, storage and EV charging stations.

Green goodies in service at the facility include:

• 12 Crown Li-ion electric forklifts
• An unspecified number of Tesla Semis, and four Tesla 750 kW charging stations
• Six Peterbilt 220EV electric box trucks that provide last-mile delivery to the Modesto community
• 1-megawatt solar carport and 1 megawatt worth of rooftop solar panels
• 2.7 megawatt-hours of on-site battery storage
• 7 dual-head EV charging stations for employees

In 2021, the site sourced 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources. On-site solar power provides up to 20 percent of the facility’s daily energy use. Employees receive on-the-job training in operating and maintaining the new equipment.

“The transformation at Modesto is in direct support of our PepsiCo Positive (pep+) commitment to building a circular and inclusive value chain and achieving net zero emissions by 2040,” said Steven Williams, CEO of PepsiCo Foods North America. “To date, the transformation has resulted in a 91 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from direct fleet operations.”

Source: Frito-Lay