PepsiCo’s Fleet Transformation Director, Amanda DeVoe, told CNN that in 2022, the company acquired Tesla Semis to support its aim of reaching carbon neutrality by 2040, enhancing delivery efficiency. At its Sacramento distribution hub, PepsiCo operates around 21 Tesla Semi trucks, each capable of traveling 500 miles on a single charge.
According to CNN, some drivers express greater satisfaction with the electric truck compared to their diesel counterparts.
There has been considerable skepticism surrounding class 8 battery-electric semi-trucks, with many doubting their ability to compete with diesel counterparts. Among the skeptics was Bill Gates, who argued that all-electric semis like the Tesla Semi would likely never succeed due to the weight of batteries, and he doubted their capability to achieve the necessary 500-mile range for long-haul trucking.
However, Tesla defied expectations last year by completing a 500-mile trip with a load on a single charge. The North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) has been conducting a study, part of its Run on Less program, to assess various electric trucks in real-world conditions and share the data in real-time. This year, three new Tesla Semi trucks participated in the program. Now, the 18-day study has concluded, and on the second-to-last day, Tesla Semi #3 set a new record by traveling 1,076 miles in a single day.
