Connect with us

News

Pepsi details how its Tesla Semi fleet is helping it reach sustainability goals

Published

on

The Tesla Semi is perhaps the most groundbreaking vehicle in the commercial industry in decades. In Sacramento, California, Pepsi is using 21 of them to help reach its sustainability goals.

In a multi-year effort that aims to reduce the company’s carbon footprint, Pepsi is depending on the Semi, battery forklifts, Ford eTransit vans, and other BEVs to help operate the full logistical load at its northern California plant.

“Battery electric vehicles are essential for us,” Amanda DeVoe, Pepsi’s Transformation and Strategy Director, said. “It’s really grounded in our duty cycle, i.e., how we use our assets because a good majority of our business is anchored in going to market, we deliver predominantly under 100 miles on a daily basis, and we run those vehicles around 12 hours a day.”

Tesla Semi Pepsico fleet ready to take on the road

The Semi is among the most crucial to the company’s business practices, and the company and its employees have quickly adapted to the ever-changing landscape in commercial logistics.

Advertisement

DeVoe said the use of EVs is most advantageous for this type of short-range travel from Pepsi’s distribution warehouse in Sacramento to where it will deliver vehicles.

Three of the twenty-one Tesla Semi units that Pepsi uses at the Sacramento facility are “dedicated to the long-haul” routes, which range from 250 to 450 miles.

The Tesla Semi’s technology, especially with regenerative braking, has been a monumental help for Pepsi, especially with the routes that include Donnar’s Pass.

Dejan Antunović, Pepsi’s Electrification Program Manager, said:

“Going across Donnar’s Pass and back from [Sacramento] to Nevada, we’re able to, on the trip back, actually zero out, in terms of state of charge improving due to regenerative braking…It extends range for us in a way that is invaluable.”

Transport drivers and fleet managers stated the Megacharger has helped tremendously with the travel, helping Semis reach 95 percent state of charge within 20 to 30 minutes of charging. They also commented on how comfortable the Semi’s interior is and how easy it is to drive due to the throne’s positioning toward the front of the vehicle.

Advertisement
tesla semi plugged into megacharger

It took three years for Pepsi to prepare for the sustainability project to really take shape, which required 3 MW of additional service to the facility.

However, the project is years ahead of schedule due to the mass adoption of EVs at the plant, led by the Semi.

Please email me with questions and comments at joey@teslarati.com. I’d love to chat! You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

Advertisement
Comments

News

Tesla lands new partnership with Uber as Semi takes center stage

Tesla and Uber will work together, using the company’s all-electric Semi, to make sustainable Class 8 electric trucks more affordable with three main strategies: Subsidized Pricing, Predictable Growth, and Optimization of Utilization.

Published

on

Credit: Uber

The Tesla Semi has led to a new partnership between the company and Uber, as the two are launching a program that aims to revolutionize logistics by making sustainable commercial vehicles more accessible.

Uber announced on Tuesday that it was planning to launch the Dedicated EV Fleet Accelerator Program in a new partnership with Tesla. Uber’s Freight division is mainly responsible for the new program, which it calls a “first-of-its-kind buyer’s program designed to make electric freight more affordable and accessible by addressing key adoption barriers.”

Tesla and Uber will work together, using the company’s all-electric Semi, to make sustainable Class 8 electric trucks more affordable with three main strategies: Subsidized Pricing, Predictable Growth, and Optimization of Utilization.

  • Subsidized Price: Fleets purchasing Tesla Semis through this program will receive a subsidy on the purchase price.   
  • Predictable Growth: Fleets will integrate their Tesla Semis into Uber Freight’s dedicated solutions for shippers for a pre-determined period. This creates an opportunity for carriers to forecast revenue with confidence, while shippers gain consistent access to reliable, zero-emission capacity. 
  • Optimize Utilization: Uber Freight taps into its extensive freight network to match carriers with consistent, high-quality freight from our strong shipper base—helping ensure the addition of these Tesla Semis stay fully utilized and carriers see dedicated, real, measurable returns from the start

Tesla will work directly with interested companies to iron out technical details about the Semi, as well as its cost of ownership based on the tailored needs of their business. Fleets can expect savings on the first day, Uber says, as they will avoid diesel fuel costs and reduced maintenance, a widely known advantage of EVs.

Uber announced that it had partnered with select carriers to pilot the Dedicated EV Fleet Accelerator Program prior to its launch:

“During the 2-month pilot program, the Tesla Semis showcased both reliability and efficiency for Uber Freight’s shipper network. Over 394 hours of drive time, carriers covered 12,377 miles. With an average net energy consumption of just 1.72 kWh per mile and only 60 hours of total charge time, these results highlight the operational viability of Tesla Semis on demanding freight lanes. “

Advertisement

In its press release launching the program, Uber effectively highlights how the use of the Semi can impact a company’s margins and profitability through fuel savings, reduced maintenance costs, and lower total cost of ownership.

This is something that turns so many people away from gas cars and toward EVs, so it’s no surprise that Uber wanted to emphasize this point on a larger scale with a company that utilizes a fleet of vehicles.

Tesla Semi shows strong results in ArcBest’s real-world freight trial

Tesla has been experimenting with a select group of companies, as well. It partnered with PepsiCo. several years ago, in an effort to launch a pilot program for the Semi. It had excellent results, showing higher efficiency, lower costs, and an exceptional ability to handle long runs.

Drivers have had a lot of positive things to say:

Advertisement

Tesla Semi earns strong reviews from veteran truckers

The Semi will enter mass production next year, but we anticipate that some companies will commit to Uber’s new platform well before then.

Continue Reading

Energy

Tesla recalls Powerwall 2 units in Australia

Published

on

(Credit: nathanwoodgc /Instagram)

Tesla will recall Powerwall 2 units in Australia after a handful of property owners reported fires that caused “minor property damage.” The fires were attributed to cells used by Tesla in the Powerwall 2.

Tesla Powerwall is a battery storage unit that retains energy from solar panels and is used by homeowners and businesses to maintain power in the event of an outage. It also helps alleviate the need to rely on the grid, which can help stabilize power locally.

Powerwall owners can also enroll in the Virtual Power Plant (VPP) program, which allows them to sell energy back to the grid, helping to reduce energy bills. Tesla revealed last year that over 100,000 Powerwalls were participating in the program.

Tesla announces 100k Powerwalls are participating in Virtual Power Plants

The Australia Competition and Consumer Commission said in a filing that it received several reports from owners of fires that led to minor damage. The Australian government agency did not disclose the number of units impacted by the recall.

Advertisement

The issue is related to the cells, which Tesla sources from a third-party company.

Anyone whose Powerwall 2 unit is impacted by the recall will be notified through the Tesla app, the company said.

Continue Reading

Cybertruck

Tesla launches Cybertruck orders in a new market with a catch

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla is launching Cybertruck orders in a new market, but there’s a bit of a catch.

The Cybertruck was launched in the Middle East earlier this year, as Tesla launched the ability to place a reservation for the all-electric pickup in the United Arab Emirates. It would be the first market outside of North America that would have the ability to place an order for the Cybertruck.

Tesla confirms Cybertruck will make its way out of North America this year

Other markets where the vehicle has been widely requested, like Europe and Asia, have still not approved the vehicle to be sold to the public, mostly because of size and design restrictions.

However, in the UAE, Tesla is opening up the ability for those who placed reservations for the vehicle to finally put in their order. The Order Configurator is only available to those who have already placed a reservation; it is not yet available to the public.

Advertisement

Tesla said it would open up the public online configurator across the Middle East in the coming weeks:

The UAE is not the only country that will have access to the Cybertruck, as fans in other Middle Eastern countries will also be able to place orders soon. Tesla announced back in April that Saudi Arabia and Qatar would also have Cybertruck deliveries.

Advertisement

These vehicles will be built at Tesla’s Gigafactory Texas plant just outside of Austin, as Gigafactory Berlin and Gigafactory Shanghai, two factories located in the same hemisphere as the Middle East, do not have established lines for Cybertruck production.

As for the other markets, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has hinted that the company could develop a smaller Cybertruck for those markets, as he admitted that in the long term, it likely made sense to build a more compact version for regions where roads are traditionally tighter.

Elon Musk hints at smaller Tesla Cybertruck version down the road

There has been no evidence of Tesla developing this more compact version, but it could eventually happen.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending