Australian supermarket giant Coles has rolled out it first electric delivery truck as part of a larger move to cut emissions from its fleet.
The electric vehicle, nicknamed Sparky, will make 240 deliveries a week to customers in Flagstone, south of Brisbane, and is expected to save the company $170 a week on fuel.
Its launch comes in addition to Coles' pledge to install electric fridges in 500 trucks and an existing test of an electric truck in its supply chain.
But the supermarket chain's efforts stopped short of meeting a promise by rival Woolworths to replace 3000 diesel trucks with 1200 electric vehicles by 2030.
Coles online network and growth general manager James Geddes said the company's first electric delivery truck was an important achievement and would provide valuable information about future rollouts.
"Making around 40 deliveries to customers each day, the (electric vehicle) is a quieter, more efficient vehicle that produces fewer emissions than a petrol-powered vehicle,” he said.
"We look forward to using the insights gained from this trial to welcome more electric vans to our growing fleet around the country soon."
The electric truck trial, Mr Geddes said, would help the company meet its target of reducing direct and indirect carbon emissions by 75 per cent in 2030.
Chris Tulloch, chief executive of Custom Fleet that partnered with Coles on the electric truck, said the vehicle would deliver additional benefits to customers and drivers.
"These vans have zero tailpipe emissions and offer a reduction in noise pollution," he said.
"They also need less maintenance and are more comfortable to drive due to less vibrations."
Coles has also been testing an electric truck in its supply chain since 2022, in partnership with Linfox, and has also pledged to install electric fridges in 500 delivery vans following a trial earlier this year.
The company's commitments come two months after Woolworths announced plans to launch 27 electric trucks in Sydney this year and replace its diesel vehicles with 1200 electric trucks.
Chief executive Brad Banducci said the move would help Woolworths cut 60 per cent of its transport emissions by the end of the decade.
Transport contributes 19 per cent of all Australia's carbon emissions, according to the National Electric Vehicle Strategy, and is expected to become the country's largest source of emissions by 2030.
