Frito Lay rolls out EVs into delivery fleet

MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO - Frito Lay says it is the first food manufacturer in Canada to integrate emissions-free electric vehicles into its delivery fleet.

The company has taken delivery of six electric vehicles, which are being deployed at Frito Lay Canada's distribution centres in Brampton which will receive three, Ottawa, Surrey and Laval.

The vehicles were built by Smith Electric Vehicles. Each has a 60-km per day range, which Frito Lay says meets the requirements of most of its routes. The delivery vehicles will be powered by electricity from the grid and will be recycled when they reach the end of the batteries life cycle of three to five years or longer.

"Electric vehicles are good for the environment because they do not use fossil fuels and they do not produce greenhouse gas or particulate emissions during operation," says Helmi Ansari, sustainability leader, Frito Lay Canada. "We've been striving to reduce our footprint on the planet for many years and energy conservation has long been a strategic initiative for the company. Today's introduction of electric vehicles to our fleet brings us one step closer to our vision of a fleet that's comprised of several types of highly-efficient vehicles that meet our various route needs and driving distances across the country."

The use of electric delivery vehicles is just one of many environmental undertakings by the company. It's also focusing on using less water, electricity and fuel while reducing waste from everything it makes, moves and sells.

Frito Lay says to date it has: reduced the total distance travelled by its trucks by 3 one million kilometres by optimizing delivery routes reduced manufacturing fuel consumption by more than 20 since 1999 per kilogram of snacks produced reduced water consumption by more than 30 since 1999, saving 5.4 billion litres of water through changes at manufacturing plants reused about 40 million shipping cartons since 1999, equivalent to saving more than 300,000 trees per year and in 2009 the company says it diverted more than 92 of its manufacturing waste from landfills into recycling and re-use streams, just short of its 99 landfill diversion target. Frito Lay also lays claim to producing the world's first 100 compostable chip bag, introduced with the SunChips brand.