Who knew Frito-Lay products were so healthy…for the environment? By the end of this year, Frito-Lay will have more than 275 electric trucks deployed in the US, making its EV fleet the largest in the country. In May, the company reached a milestone of one million electric miles driven. Frito-Lay’s parent, PepsiCo, operates the seventh-largest privately owned vehicle fleet in the US – over 20,000 trucks – and the company has set a goal to reduce greenhouse gases and fuel consumption by 50 percent by 2020.

The new Newton electric trucks, made by Smith Electric Vehicles, have a range of around 80 miles on a charge, and offer fuel costs up to 75% lower than comparable diesel trucks, as well as greatly reduced maintenance expenses. Frito-Lay’s Newton fleet is projected to save over 500,000 gallons of fuel per year.

“With the continued introduction of electric vehicles into our fleet, Frito-Lay continues to assert its commitment to environmental sustainability,” said VP Leslie Starr Keating. “Nearly 20 percent of our medium-heavy duty delivery trucks in the state of California are slated to be transitioned to all-electric vehicles.  We have seen the accelerated growth and acquisition of this innovative technology because of the support from California. It’s these private and public partnerships that create the momentum that alternative fuel vehicles need to become even more competitive.”

Frito-Lay’s EV rollout was supported by funding from several government agencies. “These electric vehicles prove we possess the capacity, technology and imagination to make change happen,” said California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. “That’s the significance of today – efficiency, elegance and renewable energy coming together for a private company, in partnership with state and federal government.  It’s a great day, and a great milestone – and is just the beginning of a lot of steps forward.”

Image: Pepsico