Leading The Charge in California, Frito-Lay Rolls Out Growing Fleet of All-electric Delivery Trucks

California Now Home to Largest Fleet of Frito-Lay Electric Trucks

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Aug 09, 2012, 09:32 ET

PLANO, Texas, Aug. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Senior leadership from PepsiCo's Frito-Lay North America division was joined today by California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr., Matt Rodriquez, secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency and Gregory Winterbottom, chairman of the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee to announce the growth of Frito-Lay's California electric truck fleet. Once all of the vehicles are deployed by the end of 2012, California will be home to 105 all-electric delivery trucks, the largest deployment in any state.

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(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120809/NY55546-b )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120809/NY55546-c )

Electric trucks reduce fuel consumption, noise pollution and CO2 emissions, compared to traditional delivery trucks. By the end of this year, Frito-Lay will have more than 275 electric trucks deployed in the U.S., making Frito-Lay the largest commercial fleet of all-electric trucks in the country. In May of this year, Frito-Lay reached a milestone of one million all-electric miles driven.

The initial rollout of all-electric trucks in California has already eliminated the need for an estimated 50,000 gallons of fuel and 1 million pounds of greenhouse gases. When all 105 trucks are deployed by the end of this year, Frito-Lay expects to eliminate 200,000 gallons of fuel and nearly 4.5 million pounds of greenhouse gases annually in the state of California. The new all-electric trucks will operate from distribution centers located throughout California: Alameda, City of Industry, La Mirada, Manteca, San Diego, San Jose and Torrance.

"With the continued introduction of electric vehicles into our fleet, Frito-Lay continues to assert its commitment to environmental sustainability," said Leslie Starr Keating, senior vice president, supply chain for Frito-Lay North America. "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."

To support the introduction of all-electric vehicles to the state of California, Frito-Lay received a grant from the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC), specifically in the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The company also received funding from the California Energy Commission and the Hybrid Truck Bus Voucher Incentive Project from California Air Resources Board, administered by CalStart.

"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."

In the U.S., Frito-Lay hopes to reduce its total fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2020, compared to 2007 baseline. This effort supports PepsiCo's commitments to environmental sustainability, particularly in fuel and greenhouse gas reduction. Across PepsiCo, in addition to electric trucks, the company has introduced 267 hybrid electric trucks and 67 compressed natural gas (CNG) tractors; 176 hybrid electric vehicles and14 CNG tractors are scheduled to operate in California.

"Frito-Lay's investment in cleaner, more sustainable transportation serves as an excellent example of a major U.S. corporation making a significant public commitment to the reduction of greenhouse gases and reduced energy consumption," said Gregory Winterbottom, MSRC chairman. "The Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee applauds Frito-Lay's leadership in this area."

Once all of the electric trucks are fully deployed across the U.S., Frito-Lay will eliminate the need for 500,000 gallons of fuel annually. In addition, the all-electric delivery trucks:

Can run up to 80 miles on a single charge
Have zero tailpipe emissions
Emit 75 percent less greenhouse gases than diesel
Operate virtually silent, eliminating noise pollution
Provide a long-term economically viable solution to traditional fuel sources

About the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee

The Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) was formed in 1990 when Assembly Bill AB 2766 was signed into law authorizing a $4 motor vehicle registration fee. Thirty percent of the $4 fee or approximately $14 million annually is used for programs administered by the MSRC. All of the programs eligible for funding must reduce air pollution from mobile sources.

Membership of the MSRC is made up of representatives from the transportation agencies of Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange County, as well as the Southern California Association of Governments, Southern California Rideshare, California Air Resources Board and the South Coast Air Quality Management District. For more information, please visit http://www.cleantransportationfunding.org.

About Frito-Lay North America

Frito-Lay North America is the $13 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate website, http://www.fritolay.com, the Snack Chat blog, http://www.snacks.com and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/fritolay.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world. PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment by conserving energy and water and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit http://www.pepsico.com.

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SOURCE Frito-Lay North America