Gary Zhou 
According to reports, Tesla will supply 15 all-electric Semis to PepsiCo by the end of 2021.
PepsiCo issued a press release titled, “Frito-Lay Cuts Absolute Fleet Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) in Half, Reduces Diesel Usage by 78 Percent at California Production Site” earlier today, detailing the measures it took to reduce GHG emissions by 53 percent.
One way the company has done this so far is by replacing the equipment and infrastructure at the plant, located in Modesto, California. PepsiCo. has utilized “nearly 60 tractors, box trucks, yard trucks or forklifts powered by electric, lithium-ion technologies or natural gas with renewable attributes,” it said. Additionally, it revealed that “the remaining 15 electric tractors expected to deploy later this year.”
PepsiCo announced the 15 electric tractors will be the Tesla Semi, the long-awaited all-electric commercial vehicle from the world’s leading electric automaker, following the publication of the press release, according to Electrek. The news coincides with the publication of a Piper Sandler investors note earlier this week, which discussed the prospect of a stock sell-off if Tesla delayed delivery of the Semi or Cybertruck.
The Semi has been delayed on many occasions, with Tesla citing battery constraints as the primary cause. However, the company has been working hard to get the Semi out sooner rather than later. The Semi has been seen on public roads many times this year for testing, and Tesla has also been testing the vehicle at its Fremont Factory.
Tesla had intended to start mass production of the Semi last year, but battery shortages appeared to have put the project on hold. Over the last few years, Tesla has had to deal with increased demand for its vehicles. The Model 3 sedan was introduced to the market in 2017 and the Model Y crossover in 2020. These two vehicles have been Tesla’s best-sellers for many years, and the company’s primary focus continues to be on providing them with available cells in order to extend the company’s presence in the growing EV market.
Pepsi listed several companies that contributed to the Zero-Emissions and Near-Zero-Emissions projects in the press release: ChargePoint; Crown; Meritor; Peterbilt; Project Clean Air; SJVAPCD; Tesla and Volvo Trucks. ANG; BYD Motors LLC; Café Coop; CALSTART; University of California, Riverside CE-CERT; ChargePoint; Crown; Meritor; Peterbilt; Project Clean Air; SJVAPCD; Tesla and Volvo Trucks.
