In a historic first, Victoria Bitter and Linfox are launching electric truck deliveries for the Big Cold Beer across Melbourne.
The Australian beer will be transported in a new Volvo FL all-electric truck, the first-ever EV in the Linfox fleet.
It will deliver beer like a regular diesel truck but in a sustainable way: transporting 100,000+ cans and stubbies each week from Asahi Beverages’ distribution centre in Melbourne’s west to bottleshops and consumers across the city.
The truck will also be powered entirely by 100% offset solar power drawn from Asahi Beverages’ solar farm near Mildura in northern Victoria.
Since last year, VB has been brewed with 100% offset solar electricity.
Robert Iervasi, Group CEO of Asahi Beverages, which purchased Carlton & United Breweries last year, said that with Linfox and VB’s over fifty-year long partnership, it’s fitting the two Australian icons are taking this major step towards a sustainable future together.
“This truck will deliver VB and our other beers in a sustainable, safe and efficient way, which makes sound commercial sense,” Iervasi said.
“It is the first of many electric trucks that will deliver our beer. Transitioning our deliveries to electric vehicles will help us achieve our ambitious sustainability goals of reducing our net carbon emissions across our entire supply chain by 30% by 2030 and to zero by 2050,” he said.
The VB truck is decked out in the brand’s famous green colour and can travel up to 250km before it needs recharging.
Linfox Executive Chairman Peter Fox said that Australia’s domestic freight task has doubled in the past decade and will continue to grow.
“To meet this demand, Australia’s road fleet will also grow and it is essential the fleet does this safely, efficiently and with reduced environmental impact,” Fox said.
“We are proud to introduce Volvo’s first electric vehicle in Australia to the Linfox fleet,” he said.
Linfox delivers hundreds of millions of litres of beer annually for Asahi Beverages.
“The majority of Linfox’s carbon emissions come from transportation tasks. As we continue our journey to act sustainably and achieve zero net emissions by 2030, the way we operate will change in response, with more electric vehicles planned for our fleet and increased use of rail transport where viable,” Fox revealed.
Volvo Group Australia President and CEO Martin Merrick said that the transport industry is transforming at a rapid rate.
“Electromobility is rapidly gaining traction as a transport solution and we are proud to partner with Linfox and Asahi Beverages on this exciting new journey,” Merrick said.
“Environmental care is a core value shared not only by Linfox and Volvo Trucks, but also by Asahi Beverages and we are proud of those shared values,” he said.
The VB truck is the first mass-produced electric truck of its size in Australia and the first Volvo FL all-electric in Australia.
Source: Linfox