Nestlé Purina PetCare Debuts Use of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Semi-Truck in California

The truck — which is the newest Nikola hydrogen fuel cell truck model — will transport products like Tidy Cats cat litter with zero tailpipe emissions, supporting Purina’s sustainability strategy

 Nestlé Purina PetCare, in collaboration with The Kenan Advantage Group, Inc. (KAG) and Nikola Corporation, launched its first zero-tailpipe-emission delivery with the use of a hydrogen fuel cell electric semi-truck this week. On its inaugural journey, the truck is transporting Purina products, including Tidy Cats cat litter, between three California cities: Stockton, Maricopa and Modesto. This represents a small part of Purina’s overall strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“We are continuously identifying new opportunities within our business and through partnerships to help us meet our sustainability goals,” said Travis Krous, Purina senior director of Supply Chain Operations. “This truck represents an exciting opportunity to test new technology and determine if it’s feasible to scale.”

Purina’s manufacturing strategy promotes regional production and distribution, minimizing the number of long-distance trucks on the road. KAG will deliver Purina products using the Class 8 Nikola hydrogen fuel cell electric semi-truck, which has a maximum range of up to 500 miles and can be refueled in 20 minutes or less, all while producing zero tailpipe emissions while driving. According to Nikola, one truck avoids 97 metric tons of CO₂ tailpipe emissions per year on average — the equivalent of taking 23 passenger vehicles off the road for a year.

“We’re excited to transport products on our first hydrogen fuel cell truck while helping our valued customer and partner, Purina, drive its sustainability goals forward,” said Tyler Coventry, executive vice president of KAG Food Products. “We’re committed to implementing more sustainable practices within the supply chain by optimizing the use of energy-efficient technologies.”

“We are proud to support Purina’s sustainability initiatives by supplying KAG with its first-ever hydrogen fuel cell electric Class 8 truck,” said Steve Girsky, Nikola president and CEO. “This collaboration aligns with our mission to drive innovation and environmental responsibility in the transportation industry.”

Developing Litter with a Focus on Sustainability

At its Tidy Cats-producing factory in Maricopa, Purina has implemented solar drying technology for the clay used in both scooping and non-scooping litter — an innovative solution which has led to substantial reductions in energy needs.

Purina is also taking steps to reduce its use of virgin plastics globally. Key to this effort is incorporating recycled content into packaging. By the end of the year, all Tidy Cats litter jugs will be made with 100 percent recycled content. Specially designed pail refill bags also help reduce plastic waste and allow cat owners to reuse pails.

 

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