Posted on 09/20/2010 10:33:50 AM PDT by Red Badger
First Five Trucks in US Hit Streets of NYC
PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay North America division is setting the wheels in motion for what will ultimately be the largest fleet of commercial all-electric trucks in North America this week. New York City will become the first U.S. city to receive its favorite snacks from fully-electric delivery trucks, with five new trucks beginning routes this month.
In total, Frito-Lay will be deploying 21 electric trucks this year. The company projects it will roll out 150 additional trucks in 2011, making Frito-Lay the largest commercial fleet of all-electric trucks in North America. The trucks, designed by Smith Electric Vehicles, generate zero tailpipe emissions and operate for up to 100 miles on a single charge.
Electric trucks reduce fuel consumption, noise pollution and CO2 emissions, compared to traditional delivery trucks. The initial rollout in New York was funded through a grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
“Frito-Lay has implemented bold goals for reducing our use of key resources such as fuel to ultimately help us reduce our overall environmental impact,” said Mike O’Connell, director of fleet capability for Frito Lay North America. “There are real economic and environmental benefits to electric trucks. Once the planned 171 electric trucks are deployed we will eliminate the need for 500,000 gallons of fuel annually. Each truck emits 75% less greenhouse gases than a conventional diesel truck.”
The program expands a long-running commitment by Frito-Lay North America and its parent company PepsiCo to environmental sustainability. With the seventh largest privately owned fleet in the U.S., Frito-Lay has set a goal of becoming the most fuel efficient fleet in the country. Electric vehicles give Frito-Lay an opportunity to leverage the latest advances in transportation technology as a significant way to reduce the impact of its fleet.
Frito-Lay is working with Smith Electric Vehicles, the nation’s top manufacturer of battery-electric commercial trucks. Smith Electric is a leader in the development of commercial electric trucks designed to operate at peak effectiveness in urban environments. Smith Electric produces the Newton, which is the only all-electric commercial truck on the market.
“Frito-Lay’s truck program is a significant step forward in the advancement of electric vehicles,” said Bryan Hansel, CEO of Smith Electric Vehicles. “Businesses will improve their environmental impact and see cost savings with the reduction of fossil fuels. More importantly, the insights gained operating in urban environments will be invaluable in extending electric vehicle technology to consumer markets in the future.”
Specific benefits associated with Smith’s all-electric trucks include:
• Can run up to 100 miles on a single charge • Zero tailpipe emissions • Emits 75 percent less greenhouse gas than diesel • Operates virtually silently, eliminating noise pollution • Provides a long term economically viable solution
Frito-Lay’s New York fleet program aligns with Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s PlaNYC, which is an effort to reduce CO2 emissions and improve fuel efficiency of cars and other vehicles in New York City.
New York will be the first of three cities in the U.S., along with Columbus, Ohio and Ft Worth, Texas, where Frito-Lay will be piloting electric trucks on regular daily routes. The company has already deployed six electric trucks in Canada.
Frito-Lay North America is the $13 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate Web site, http://www.fritolay.com/, the Snack Chat blog, http://www.snacks.com/ and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fritolay.
PepsiCo offers the world's largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 19 different product lines that each generates more than $1 billion in annual retail sales. Our main businesses - Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana and Gatorade - also make hundreds of other nourishing, tasty foods and drinks that bring joy to our consumers in more than 200 countries. With annualized revenues of nearly $60 billion, PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth, called Performance with Purpose. By dedicating ourselves to offering a broad array of choices for healthy, convenient and fun nourishment, reducing our environmental impact, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace culture, PepsiCo balances strong financial returns with giving back to our communities worldwide. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.
Yes.... the Pepsi people that also push Anti-God, Pro Gay agendas.... I have not bought any Pepsi products in quite some time and will continue to boycott those Socialists!
Emission-shifting idiocy.
The initial rollout in New York was funded through a grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
If the only way they can make this work is thru gubmint money, doesn't that tell you something?
Get ready for a humongous price increase on Frito-Lay products.
the batteries on those things are really dangerous
It makes sense to put electric motors in local delivery trucks. Many of those trucks drive less than 100 per day and are usually parked at night.
And it even makes more sense when the electricity to recharge the batteries at night comes from a nuclear power plant.
One of NYSERDA's "pet projects" in recent years has been research into idle reduction technology at truck stops and highway rest areas to eliminate the need for truckers to idle their engines to power heaters and AC units while they sleep.
I don’t buy Frito-Lay. I buy from local or smaller regional snack food makers whenever possible...............
Probably cut it in half, or more.
This would be great if they use the motors to charge the battery when they brake and coat the roof of the box with solar cells. Maybe the sides too with the new generation of solar cell paint and other stuff.
WHat we need is data ofn the cost of these babies. If they have been operating for some time in Canada, then where is the data? The fact that they do not mention the cost numbers in this PR piece makes me suspect that taxpayers are essentially underwriting another green boondoggle. If they are cost effective, why the need for grant money?
WHat we need is data ofn the cost of these babies. If they have been operating for some time in Canada, then where is the data? The fact that they do not mention the cost numbers in this PR piece makes me suspect that taxpayers are essentially underwriting another green boondoggle. If they are cost effective, why the need for grant money?
“Electric trucks reduce fuel consumption, noise pollution and CO2 emissions, compared to traditional delivery trucks.”
I’ll give them noise and point-source emissions. But do they really reduce CO2 emissions, when most of the electricity comes from coal and natural gas fired plants? What kind of thermal efficiency do those plants manage? And then add in transmission and charging losses, plus the extra weight of batteries to be hauled around. Seems like a marginal improvement at best, unless the electricity is coming from sources with much lower carbon emissions (every generating technology pretty much has some emissions, at the very least those involved in manufacturing, installing and maintaining the generating facilities).
1) How much are they getting in tax incentives? I know somewhere, somehow we’re paying for this.
2) 100 miles on a single charge? Yea, hauling light as a feather potato chips. If they were hauling a truck load of soft drinks it would be more like 3.7 miles per charge.
Is Pepsi Co. going to run their own generators to power this fleet or are they just going to suck on the electric grid everyone uses and sometimes push to capacity already?
How many Frito Lay trucks will be laid up all over big states like Montana, Wyoming,Nevada?
Lots of miles between locations. Well over 40 miles.
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