AUSTRALIA | Coles has become the country’s first retailer to welcome an electric prime mover truck to its transportation network.
In partnership with Linfox, the Electric Vehicle (EV) will save more than 65 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year compared to a regular diesel-powered prime mover, equivalent to removing 15 cars from the road. The heavy-duty vehicle now delivers groceries to hundreds of stores across Victoria.
Expected to make up to 25 deliveries from the Coles Distribution Centre in Victoria to stores across the state each week, the Volvo FH, awarded the International Truck of the Year 2024, can travel up to 300km on a single charge and will save approximately 25,000 litres of fuel every year.
In addition to fuel and emission reductions, the EV is quieter to run, reducing noise pollution during store deliveries for customers in residential areas. It also requires no idling, eliminating further emissions and fuel consumption.
Coles Chief Operations and Sustainability Officer Matt Swindells said the EV was another step in the retailer’s decarbonisation journey. The retailer has continued to work with partners to reduce its Scope 3 emissions, which occur in its supply chain and make up most of its overall emissions profile.
“We’re excited to welcome our first EV prime mover to our network, which is currently making about 25 deliveries from our distribution centre in Victoria each week to hundreds of stores across the state,” said Swindells.
“Not only will it prevent more than 65 tonnes of CO2 emissions every year, or the equivalent of removing 15 cars from our roads, it will save approximately 25,000 litres of fuel annually and is quieter to run, meaning reduced noise pollution for our customers.”
Linfox has been an early adopter of EV transport technology and was pleased to partner to lower emissions on roads and supply chains and contribute to driving change in the industry.
Linfox CEO Australia and New Zealand Mark Mazurek said the announcement represented a significant milestone in Coles and Linfox’s ongoing efforts to reduce their carbon footprints and create a more sustainable future.
“This fully electric prime mover is charged on-site and is at the forefront of automotive technology. Over the past two years, we’ve worked with Coles, government, and agencies to bring it to our roads, and we’re proud to lead the industry toward a more sustainable future.”
In 2023, Coles announced that it was working with at least 75 percent of its suppliers by spending to set science-based emissions reduction targets by the end of June 2027 as part of its Scope 3 emissions supplier engagement target.
To help further reduce emissions in its supply chain, the retailer’s first electric Coles Online delivery van is currently running deliveries in Queensland as part of a trial.
An EV-heavy rigid truck has also been delivering groceries to stores out of its Distribution Centre in Sydney, and ten electric refrigeration vans have been taking part in a trial designed to reduce emissions and fuel usage.
