Frito-Lay says it is wrapping up a major initiative at its Modesto, Calif., facility focused on implementing alternative fuel vehicles, electric vehicle charging stations, renewable energy generation and energy storage equipment.
The Modesto site is one of the largest Frito-Lay manufacturing facilities in the U.S., at 500,000 square feet, sitting on 80 acres and employing more than 1,100 associates. The initiative includes:
- 38 Volvo VNL compressed natural gas tractors fueled by CNG with RNG attributes from a nearby, public-access CNG fueling station owned and operated by Beyond6
- Six Peterbilt 220EV electric box trucks
- Three BYD electric yard tractors
- 12 Crown Li-ion forklifts
- Tesla over-the-road electric semis and four Tesla 750 kW charging stations
- Seven dual-head employee electric vehicle charging stations
The facility also features a 1 MW solar carport with energy storage, which doubles the amount of solar generation capacity at the facility by supplementing the site’s 1 MW of rooftop solar panels.
“The transformation at Modesto is in direct support of our PepsiCo Positive (pep+) commitment to building a circular and inclusive value chain and achieving net zero emissions by 2040,” says Steven Williams, CEO of PepsiCo Foods North America. “To date, the Frito-Lay Modesto transformation has resulted in a 91 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from direct fleet operations.”
The project was started in 2019 and supported by the California Climate Investments initiative, in conjunction with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and the California Air Resources Board (CARB), to demonstrate the sustainability benefits of zero-emission and near zero-emission technologies.
“CARB’s approach to fighting local air pollution is to work with industry and other partners on projects that demonstrate how a fleet can protect public health by shifting to clean vehicle technologies and equipment. This includes zero-emission trucks and related charging infrastructure,” says CARB Executive Officer Dr. Steven Cliff. “The transformation of the Frito-Lay facility in Modesto is a notable example of this approach. It also makes the case to other fleets and freight facilities in California – and throughout the nation – that a shift by companies and fleets to the cleanest trucks and equipment directly improves the air for communities adjacent to these facilities.”