PepsiCo placed an order for the first 100 Tesla Semi trucks in 2017. The fact that the company had to wait a long time for delivery is noteworthy. Tesla began delivering the trucks on December 2, 2022, but the rate of production initially is quite low.
Media reports state that PepsiCo plans to utilize 21 Tesla Semi trucks at their Sacramento plant to deliver Pepsi products locally, while an additional 15 trucks will be employed by the Frito-Lay manufacturing plant located in Modesto, California.
The company has installed high-power DC fast charging stations at both sites in preparation for electrification. The article states that each station has four 750-kilowatt (kW) charging stalls, which resemble the V4 Superchargers visually. The charging stations with megawatt level capability are commonly called Megachargers. However, information about the stations and the charging connector is currently unavailable.
It is interesting to note that state and federal grants played a significant role in PepsiCo's purchase of Tesla Semis. The estimated cost per vehicle was $250,000. The company was granted $15 million by state and local authorities to fund the vehicles and charging infrastructure in Sacramento and Modesto. Additionally, the federal government provided $40,000 per vehicle.
According to Erica Edwards, Senior Vice-President for Manufacturing at PepsiCo, the Tesla Semi trucks can travel up to 400 miles before requiring a recharge. According to Tesla, when fully loaded, the range is 500 miles (equivalent to over 800 km) and the efficiency is 1.7 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per mile, which is equivalent to 1.06 kWh/km.
Source: The Sacramento Bee