The Shoprite Group is piloting an electric refrigerated truck from Scania as part of their fleet. The truck is a Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) that is 100% electric. It has zero reliance on fossil fuels and emits no carbon dioxide.
Picture: Bob Adams on Flickr
With approximately 16 pallets, nine batteries, solar panels on its roof, and a fully electric cooling system the truck has a range in the region of 350km and will be used for local deliveries. According to the fleet owner, the electric vehicle will be recharged using renewable energy generated by the company’s existing solar installations.
‘As Africa’s largest grocery retailer, the Shoprite Group places significant focus on reducing its environmental impact across its operations,’ said Andrew Havinga, chief supply chain officer for the Shoprite Group according to Business Tech. ‘One of the ways we’re doing this is by increasing the energy efficiency of our truck fleet.’
Robin Jooste, 28, of Colorado Park, Mitchells Plain, was the first person selected to drive the electric truck – which also has a glow-in-the-dark feature to make it more visible at night.
The addition of the new electric truck is part of Shoprite’s ongoing efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its supply chain. ‘The acquisition of this, one of the world’s most advanced electric trucks, which we will charge using our existing renewable energy infrastructure, is another major move in this direction,’ Havinga concluded
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