Speaking at the 2024 IAA Transportation Expo in Hannover, Germany, Tesla Semi Program Senior Manager Dan Priestley and PepsiCo Electrification Program Manager Dejan Antunovic offered plenty of insight into the real-world applications of the production Semi, and according to the two managers, the Tesla Semi has performed very well for PepsiCo’s business so far.
During his talk, Priestley emphasized that total cost of ownership (TCO) drives every decision for the Tesla Semi team. This is evident in Tesla’s efforts to reduce the Semi’s costs, as evidenced by the use of the same components as other Tesla products, such as displays and powertrain parts. Priestley noted that efficiency is ultimately the biggest factor in reducing the Semi’s TCO.
Meanwhile, PepsiCo managers explained that the introduction of the Tesla Semi into the company’s fleet has gone better than expected, with truckers responding very favorably to the vehicle. Antunovich shared an anecdote about a veteran PepsiCo trucker who said he would never go back to diesel trucks after driving a Tesla Semi.
The full discussion between Tesla Semi leader @danWpriestley and PepsiCo’s Dejan Antunović at today’s IAA is here.
I will also share what I learned directly from Dan in another post below, but below are the things that stood out to me most during this insightful 25-minute talk, complete with time stamps:
01:08 PepsiCo… pic.twitter.com/mw5QredxCj
— Jaan from EV Universe ⚡ (@TheEVuniverse) September 18, 2024
The Tesla Semi is being used in several of PepsiCo’s vehicle fleets. The snack and beverage giant essentially operates three vehicle fleets: the Pepsi Beverages local delivery fleet, which operates in urban areas and travels around 150 km (93 miles) or less per day, the Pepsi Beverages transport fleet, which is regional and consistently travels up to 800 km (497 miles), and the Frito-Lay, which transports lighter loads on regional routes.
So far, PepsiCo’s Tesla Semi fleet operates out of three depots in California: Modesto, Sacramento, and Fresno. The Modesto depot operates 15 Tesla Semis on regional long-haul routes, while the Sacramento depot operates 21 Tesla Semis, with 18 on local routes and three on regional long-haul routes. The Fresno depot operates 50 Tesla Semis, with 45 on local routes and five on regional long-haul routes.
Overall, Priestley and Antunovich’s conversation underscores the idea that the Tesla Semi is already a viable alternative to traditional Class 8 trucks. While there are still challenges at present, the Tesla Semi’s performance and total cost of ownership are enough to make the vehicle an attractive investment for businesses.
Watch the conversation between Tesla and PepsiCo managers in the video below:
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