Loblaw will purchase 5 hydrogen fuel cell trucks
- Loblaw plans to purchase five hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks.
- The trucks, from Kenworth, have a range of about 435 miles.
- It’s part of the Canadian retail company’s efforts to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
Loblaw plans to purchase five hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) as part of its ongoing efforts to cut carbon emissions.
The five vehicles are Class 8 T680 trucks from Kenworth, with a range of about 700 kilometers (about 435 miles) between charges. According to a May 25 release, the five trucks will enable the Canadian retail giant to complete long-haul trips with zero carbon emissions.
“We’re a large company, operating an extensive supply chain network to stock stores in thousands of Canadian communities,” said Rob Wiebe, chief administrative officer for Loblaw, in the release. “That means our trucks are on the road in every province and territory, which creates a large footprint. We see the opportunity to fight climate change and know we have a responsibility to find new ways to cut our carbon emissions. As technologies advance, we will advance too.”
The latest carbon-free vehicle purchase by Loblaw follows the purchase of its first two carbon-free vehicles earlier this year: Class 8 day-cab vehicles making short trips between its Boucherville, Quebec, distribution center and stores in the Montreal area. Other EVs in the pipeline include 35 battery-powered vehicles on order from an array of manufacturers. Loblaw says many of those vehicles will be on roads by the end of next year.
The efforts are part of Loblaw’s efforts to increase sustainability by reducing its carbon footprint. According to the company, it plans to electrify its entire fleet of short-haul day-cab trucks by the end of the decade. Across the organization, Loblaw plans to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. In its latest ESG report, released in May, Loblaw has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 8% compared to a baseline set in 2020. The retailer earlier this month detailed more plans to cut its carbon emissions: renewable energy at more than 200 stores in Alberta that will ultimately reduce emissions by approximately 17%, Retail Leader previously reported.
Sustainability is key to retailers and brands as consumers increasingly look towards companies’ efforts toward the environment when making purchasing decisions, Retail Leader Prorecently reported. Transportation costs represent one of the biggest hurdles toward meeting carbon neutrality. In the U.S. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, transportation accounts for the most — 29% — of all greenhouse gas emissions. Of that sector, 23% of emissions come from medium- and heavy-duty trucks, which is second to light-duty vehicles, which account for 58% of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions.