Pepsi is planning to deploy 100 Tesla Semis it purchased in 2017 next year and will begin delivering products to customers such as Walmart and Kroger, PepsiCo Vice President Mike O’Connell said on Friday. O’Connell added that the company was buying the large all-electric trucks “outright” and is upgrading its plants in an interview with Reuters. He said this includes the installation of four 750-kilowatt Tesla charging stalls at its Modesto and Sacramento locations.
“It’s a great starting point to electrify,” he said.
“Like any early technology, the incentives help us build out the program.”
He added that there were several development and infrastructure costs. Although the company didn’t share details on the price of the trucks when asked, O’Connell explained that it was a good investment.
“We keep the trucks for a million miles, seven years. The operating costs over time will pay back.”
Pepsi plans to begin rolling out the Tesla Semis in the central U.S. and then the East Coast. O’Connell also pointed out that 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. He provided details on how long it would take to charge a Tesla Semi for a 425-mile trip carrying Frito-Lay products. It will bring the battery down to around 20%, and recharging it only takes around 35-45 minutes.
Disclosure: Johnna is a $TSLA shareholder and believes in Tesla’s mission.
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