Tesco has launched two new fully electric articulated HGVs to help reduce its carbon emissions.
The retailer has now added the new 37-tonne heavy freight electric trucks to its fleet to transport food and other goods from Cardiff to its distribution centre in Magor, Wales, in partnership with logistics and freight company FSEW.
Tesco said that despite significant advances in battery technology and charging infrastructure for smaller vehicles, a similar commercially viable solution for electric haulage and distribution did not exist in the UK – “until now”.
“We’ve already made progress by starting our switch to electric home delivery vans and rolling out electric vehicles charging points for our customers,” said Tesco UK & ROI CEO Jason Tarry.
“I’m excited that Tesco can also lead the way in electric haulage innovation, helping to tackle this last source of road transport emissions.”
FSEW will own and operate the charging infrastructure at its site in South Wales, where the EVs can charge their batteries to drive up to 100 miles before having to plug in again.
The new lorries are set to replace around 65,000 diesel-fuelled road miles with clean energy, therefore removing 87.4 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.
The move follows a series of initiatives from Tesco to make its fleet greener as part of its pledge to become net zero in its operations by 2035.
Last month, the British grocer introduced a new refrigerated rail freight service between Tilbury to Coatbridge to help lower its carbon emissions.
And in November, it launched a fleet of electric delivery vans across Glasgow after promising that all of its 5,500 home delivery vans across the UK will be fully electric by 2028.
“Tesco’s distribution network is one of the largest in the UK and plays an important role in our efforts to become net zero in our own operations by 2035,” Tarry added.
FSEW too has a goal to replace more than 40 diesel vehicles with low-carbon alternatives and switch to fleet-wide zero-emissions transport operations by 2025.
“Together we are working to create a cleaner and greener logistics experience,” said FSEW MD Geoff Tomlinson.
“This is transformational for the UK’s commercial and retail industries and is just the start of our work to supply electric heavy freight vehicles to customers such as Tesco.”
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