MARKET INTELLIGENCE
Food Companies Embrace Electric Class 8 Trucks There is growing momentum of food manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and restaurant chains to look at ways to have an impact on their greenhouse gas emissions reduction commitments. One significant strategy is to leverage emerging technologies involving electric vehicles. Food companies, such as grocery chain Albertsons and restaurant chain McDonald’s Canada have made recent commitments in this area. Electric trucks are a little slower to adapt than electric cars, but are nonetheless forging progress in their adoption by the market. Big truck manufacturers such as MAN and Scania have started pouring nearly $2 billion into electric truck research and development. In addition, Volvo is actively putting its VNR Electric Class trucks on the road at an impressive pace with two food shippers: Albertsons and McDonald’s.
Albertsons: Nation’s First Commercial 100% Zero-Emission Refrigerated Grocery Delivery Albertsons Companies, the secondlargest grocery chain in the U.S., recently took delivery of two Volvo VNR Electric trucks at its DC in Irvine, Calif. The VNR Electric models from Volvo Trucks North America are the first zero tailpipe emission, batteryelectric Class 8 trucks to be deployed in Albertsons Cos. company-wide fleet, and will be serving stores in southern California. Albertsons has procured electric-powered transport refrigeration units from Advanced Energy Machines (AEM) to pair with its Volvo VNR Electrics, enabling
Albertsons has procured electric-powered transport refrigeration units from Advanced Energy Machines (AEM) to pair with its Volvo VNR Electrics, enabling Albertsons Cos. to make the first commercial 100% zeroemission grocery delivery with a Class 8 truck in the U.S.
Albertsons Cos. to make the first commercial 100% zero-emission grocery delivery with a Class 8 truck in the U.S. This inaugural delivery, which took place on May 28, 2021 at a LEED-certified Albertsons store in Irvine, California, is an exciting step toward achieving the company’s sustainability goals. Albertsons Cos. operates 1,400 Class 8 trucks nationwide, all of which are certified under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SmartWay program as meeting high transportation sustainability and efficiency standards. The Southern California fleet covers 335 stores in the region, running from the Central Coast to the California-Mexico border. Increasing its transportation sustainability is just one way in which Albertsons Cos. reduces its environmental impact. Albertsons Cos. maintains ambitious sustainability goals in all sectors of its operations, including energy use, plastics and packaging, and recycling and waste reduction. In April, Albertsons Cos. committed to setting a sciencebased target to reduce carbon emissions. The company’s emissions
reduction target will include their direct operations and value chain in order to support the goals of the United Nations’ Paris Agreement and prevent the worst impacts of climate change. In order to meet their climate goals, Albertsons Cos. will leverage innovative technology, like Volvo VNR Electric trucks, and continue to implement expansive energyefficiency projects and produce renewable energy.
McDonald’s Canada Tests Electric Truck for Restaurant Delivery McDonald’s Canada recently announced the addition of the first-ever electric vehicle (EV) to its distribution fleet. With its supply chain distribution partner, Martin Brower, McDonald’s Canada will trial the new Volvo VNR Electric Class 8 tractor for distribution to restaurants in the Montréal area. The test of this zero-tailpipe emission tractor is part of McDonald’s Canada’s larger plan to transition to lower-emission vehicles in the supply chain fleet that serves more than 1,400 restaurants across the country, where feasible.
ALBERTSONS COS. OPERATES 1,400 CLASS 8 TRUCKS NATIONWIDE, ALL OF WHICH ARE CERTIFIED UNDER THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) SMARTWAY PROGRAM AS MEETING HIGH TRANSPORTATION SUSTAINABILITY AND EFFICIENCY STANDARDS.
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| FOOD CHAIN DIGEST • EDITION 2 • 2022
