Sainsbury's UK has announced that its Nine Elms London superstore is now delivering to customers using a fully electric fleet. The new electric vans mean customers' grocery shopping will be delivered with zero emissions.
The Nine Elms delivery fleet comprises 12 vans, with both the vehicle and fridge units now powered by electricity, so they will not emit carbon emissions or dust, dirt, soot, or smoke into the air. This means that the 145,000 households in Sainsbury's Nine Elms delivery area can receive groceries from vehicles helping reduce carbon emissions. The new vans will also operate much more quietly, helping to reduce noise pollution in local communities.
Sainsbury's Nine Elms makes over 2000 deliveries on average each week, covering approximately 1760 miles, so the new 100 percent electric vans will help save 57 tonnes of carbon annually, contributing to a significant reduction in air pollution in the local area.
The change is part of the retailer's transition to operating a fully electric fleet in all its stores by 2035, in line with its decarbonisation goals. The new fleet will also help Sainsbury's achieve its commitment to becoming Net Zero in its operations by 2035.
Patrick Dunne, Director of Property and Procurement at Sainsbury's, said the retailer was always looking to use the latest technology to serve its customers best while doing the right thing for the planet.
"We're thrilled to have launched a fully electric fleet in our Nine Elms superstore. We hope our customers will be delighted to learn that their groceries are being delivered with zero emissions, helping to reduce the environmental impact of their online shopping," said Dunne.
Dunne continued that the electric fleet was just the first step for the retailer, with it having committed to rolling out electric vans across the country to all our stores by 2035."
This builds on the retailer's changes to reduce carbon emissions and energy usage.
Last year, Sainsbury's introduced LED lighting across its entire estate, reducing lighting energy consumption by an average of 70 percent. It also announced the launch of Sainsbury's Innovation Investments, which will see a minimum of £5 million invested over the next four years into start-up businesses commercialising innovative, sustainable technologies to reduce operational carbon emissions. Sainsbury's currently operates with 100 percent renewable electricity. By the end of 2023, the retailer projects that up to 40 percent of its electricity will come from new-to-the-planet wind and solar power.
