Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

CTOnews.com, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) PepsiCo plans to deploy 100 Tesla Semi heavy trucks to the United States in 2023, when it will start shipping to customers such as Wal-Mart and Kroger, PepsiCo supply chain executives told Reuters on Friday local time.

Mike O'Connell, vice president of PepsiCo, said in an interview that the company was buying large trucks "directly" and upgrading its factories, including the installation of four 750kW Tesla charging stations at factories in Modesto and Sacramento, each with a $15.4 million California government grant and $40,000 in federal subsidies.

"this is a good starting point for electrification," said O'Connell, who oversees the company's transportation team. "like all early technologies, these incentives helped us build this project."

CTOnews.com learned that PepsiCo ordered the Semi pure electric semitrailer truck in 2017, and they were the first company to try Semi. In addition to Pepsi, UPS and food distribution company Sysco have also ordered the truck, while retailer Wal-Mart is already testing alternatives.

According to reports, PepsiCo is currently deploying 36 Tesla Semi electric trucks, including 15 in Modesto and 21 in Sacramento.

All PepsiCo Semi currently have a range of 500miles (805km). O'Connell added that he did not know when Tesla would start deploying the 300mil (480km) model. However, he said that when Tesla started producing the models, PepsiCo would "rotate" them into its fleet.

PepsiCo declined to give details of the car, and Tesla has been silent about its pricing. Competitors' cars range from $230000 to $240000, says Mark Barrott of consulting firm Plante Moran. Tesla Semi, which has a range of 500mph, could be priced higher because its 1000 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery pack is about twice the size of many competitors, he added.

"We drove these trucks 1 million miles for seven years," O'Connell said. " Over time, operating costs will be rewarded. "they declined to disclose the specific weight of the Semi truck, which is, after all, another secret information that Tesla kept strictly secret.

O'Connell says the company's next goal is to deploy Semi first in the central United States and then on the East Coast. Tesla did not help pay for the truck's giant chargers, but provided design and engineering services for the facilities, which are equipped with solar and battery storage systems, he said.

O'Connell says carrying Frito-Lay products for 425 miles (684km) reduces the battery charge of the Semi to about 20 per cent, which takes about 35 to 45 minutes to recharge.

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