Electric truck to deliver high tech chips: Potato chips that is

Here's some crunchy news for you. Usually when we hear about a chip-maker adapting the latest technology, we think of Intel, Motorola or AMD. But snack chip manufacturer Frito-Lay announced last week that they will be rolling out their first five all-electric delivery trucks in NYC,
setting the stage for sixteen additional trucks this year and 150 more next year, making it the largest commercial electric truck fleet in North America.The company expects the trucks, manufactured by Smith Electric Vehicles to reduce annual fuelconsumption by 500,000 gallons annually, which, they claim will produce 75% less CO2 emissions than conventional diesel trucks. That would, of course, depend on a number of factors, including how the electricity used to charge thevehicle batteries is produced. If charged using non-fossil fuel energy sources, that number could potentially be even higher. The trucks themselves emit zero tailpipe emissions. They can run up to 100 miles on a charge, making them well-suited for a dense urban environment. They are also substantially quieter than conventional trucks.

According to Mike O'Connell, director of fleet capability for Frito Lay North America, "Frito-Lay has implemented bold goals for reducing our use of key resources such as fuel to ultimately help us reduce our overall environmental impact. There are real economic and environmental benefits to electric trucks."

Frito-Lay North America is the $13 billion convenience foods business unit of PepsiCo. The company opened a LEED Gold certified distribution center in Rochester, NY in 2005.