Anheuser-Busch, Frito-Lay to buy electric trucks

Anheuser-Busch and Frito-Lay are introducing electric delivery trucks to replace diesel vehicles in California. The brewer is planning a fleet of 21 battery trucks, in association with the Center for Transportation and the Environment, while the snack food company will replace all its diesel freight vehicles, in partnership with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Anheuser’s vehicles are expected to be running by 2021, while Frito-Lay’s will be introduced over the next decade, as part of a wider sustainability initiative.

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.