Your beer and chips just got greener—and no, it's not St. Patrick's Day. That's the case in California, at least, where Anheuser-Busch and Frito-Lay both announced plans this week to replace diesel-powered logistics vehicles with electric trucks.
A-B will introduce 21 new battery-powered trucks to its California fleet from its partner, BYD. The A-B project was made possible by grants from CARB to the Center for Transportation and the Environment. CTE will oversee the A-B project, provide technical support and handle logistical issues such as permitting and charging station plans. The equipment will be second-generation 8TT Class 8 electric trucks from BYD.
“At Anheuser-Busch, we are committed to leading our industry towards a more sustainable future by reducing our carbon emissions across our value chain by 25 percent by 2025,” said A-B's Angie Slaughter. “The transport industry is one that is prime for innovative solutions and we are excited to continue driving progress towards a zero-emission fleet through this partnership.”
Frito-Lay will replace all of its existing diesel-powered freight equipment at its Modesto, Calif., manufacturing facility. Frito-Lay says the result will be "an industry-leading showcase for environmentally sustainable manufacturing, warehousing and distribution."
The snack maker partnered with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, and the result is a far more comprehensive project, targeting not just fleet vehicles, but infrastructure, energy generation and energy storage too.
"Frito-Lay is continuously looking for ways to reduce our environmental impact," said Michael O'Connell of Frito-Lay parent company PepsiCo."The Modesto project is indicative of our commitment to sustainable business practices that lead to innovation, increased productivity, operational excellence and business growth."
A-B's truck deployment will be complete by 2021; Frito-Lay's initiative is part of a much larger sustainability program which will not be fully realized until well into the next decade.
