Woolworths has expanded its electric delivery-truck fleet and infrastructure with the opening of a purpose-built 15-bay fast-charging hub at its Penrose eStore.
The state-of-the-art facility highlighted Woolworths’ commitment to driving sustainable delivery solutions, launching alongside the rapid expansion of its active electric fleet.
Woolworths New Zealand Managing Director, Sally Copland, said the scale-up was a direct investment in the wellbeing of New Zealand communities.
“By decarbonising our transport operations, we are bringing whisper-quiet, zero-emissions deliveries straight to our customers' doors,” said Copland.
“Having grown from just three new-generation electric trucks last November to 27 by the end of this month, we are undisputedly leading last-mile home delivery decarbonisation right where our customers live.”
The fleet has already delivered massive results. By the end of August, Woolworths’ electric trucks will have clocked almost 800,000 kilometres, the equivalent of travelling from Cape Reinga to Bluff return 190 times, and are on track to pass one million kilometres by December 2026.
The new trucks represent a major technological upgrade over legacy diesel vehicles, featuring state-of-the-art driver-assistance systems, 360-degree cameras, and air brakes to improve community safety.
“Our original EV journey began with a pioneering fleet in 2019. While the vehicles in that fleet have long since been retired, over seven years of real-world testing has given us the data necessary to safely scale our fleet today alongside our expert technology and logistics partners,” added Copland.
It’s also exciting to be leading the way across both Australia and New Zealand within Woolworths Group, and I’m proud of the innovation our team here have driven to make this achievement a reality.
Woolworths has committed to a 100 percent electric last-mile fleet. There are 57 next-generation electric trucks scheduled to be operational nationwide by the end of June next year, and the new Penrose hub paves the way for all 42 of the site's delivery trucks to be fully electrified by then.
