EV trucks for The Warehouse home deliveries

The Warehouse Group has four custom EV trucks to service its home delivery network in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga and Christchurch from this week.

The electric trucks deliver whiteware, general appliances and larger items and complement the group’s expanding fleet of light EVs.

The purpose-built trucks – XCMG E300s supplied by Etrucks – will fulfil customer deliveries in a 220km roundtrip radius from the distribution centres in the respective locations.

Each truck features a hard side boxed rear cabin with a two-metre tail lift on the rear.

They have about 200km range at 50% loading.

The roll out of the EV trucks is an exciting step in the group’s continued progress in decarbonising its operations and forms part of its broader set of sustainability commitments, its chief sustainability officer David Benattar says.

“Moving goods to our customers is an essential part of our operations and decarbonising our transport and logistics is one of our business priorities,” he adds.

“It is our hope that the introduction of these trucks will accelerate the commercial uptake of electric vehicles because we will be able to demonstrate their viability in operational practice.”

The Warehouse Group’s acquisition of the EV trucks was part funded by the government’s low emission vehicles contestable fund, administered by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).

“Heavy vehicles have a disproportionate carbon footprint, so investing in electric really pays off,” EECA transport portfolio manager Richard Briggs says.

“Right now, there are only a little over 200 heavy EVs registered in New Zealand, so we’re pleased to support organisations like The Warehouse Group who are taking a leadership role in the sector and encouraging others to electrify their own fleets.”

In 2019 The Warehouse Group met its goal to transition 30% of its vehicle fleet to EVs before the end of that year. About 59% of the group’s passenger fleet are now EVs, with plans to transition to 100% electric within the next 24 months.

The transition of 70 LPG forklifts to electric is planned within the same timeframe.

The Warehouse Group’s leadership in climate action was recognised when it was recently awarded an A- by the Carbon Disclosure Project in its CDP score for 2020, putting in it the highest category of “Leadership” and acknowledging that the group is implementing current best practices in the fight against climate change.