Coca-Cola invests in electric trucks
Coca-Cola Canada Bottling is investing in six Volvo VNR Electric trucks as part of a pilot program to service its Red Fleet customer delivery routes throughout the Greater Montreal Area.
The Class 8 battery-electric trucks, to be delivered throughout 2023, are the first in the beverage distributor’s fleet of 650 heavy-duty vehicles.
The fleet features a six-battery configuration that can cover up to 440 kilometres on a single charge, as the trucks make several daily round trips of 150 kilometres from the company’s distribution centre in Montreal to customer locations.
To support charging its battery-electric fleet, Coca-Cola Canada Bottling is also installing three 150 kilowatt-hour DC chargers with nine dispensers at its Montreal distribution centre.
“Our Red Fleet is iconic on the roads of our country and, as we strive to become the leading beverage partner in Canada, we’re extremely proud to partner with Volvo Trucks to be the first Canadian food and beverage manufacturer to use battery-electric trucks,” says Todd Parsons, CEO of Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Limited, in a statement. “The electrification of our fleet is a key component of our plan to reduce direct carbon emissions. We know we continue to have work to do and look forward to working together with Volvo Trucks on opportunities to expand this pilot in years to come where it makes sense. We recognize we have a responsibility to effectively manage our environmental impact and we are working to decrease the emissions from our fleet.”
Coca-Cola Canada Bottling is the first Canadian food and beverage manufacturer to use zero-tailpipe emission trucks.
The acquisition is part of the company’s Toward a Better Future Together environmental sustainability action plan, which includes reducing carbon emissions from direct sources and supplied energy by 46.2% by 2030.
Coca-Cola Canada Bottling currently has several light-duty electric service vehicles in operation across Greater Montreal, and uses B20 biofuels on all trucks newer than 2012.
