Foodstuffs’ electric truck avoids 81 tonnes of CO2 in six months

Foodstuffs North Island says its Deepway Star electric heavy truck avoided more than 81 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in its first six months on the road.

The truck has covered 44,524km carrying chilled and frozen groceries from the co-operative’s Mihaere Drive distribution centre in Palmerston North to stores across the lower North Island. It joined the fleet in March.

Foodstuffs puts the truck’s share of the saving at 72,053kg of CO2, with its electric refrigerated trailer adding another 9,118kg. It says the combined 81,171kg is roughly the same as taking 35 petrol cars off the road for a year.

Carbon manager Ben Riordan said moving heavy vehicles off diesel was central to the co-operative’s target of cutting emissions by 42 per cent by 2030.

“This demonstrates that the electrification of heavy freight vehicles is now a reliable and competitive means of transporting goods in a challenging sector,” he said. “Drivers have also praised the Deepway for its exceptional comfort, smooth operation, and remarkable quietness.”

Foodstuffs is now working out the charging and energy infrastructure it would need to grow its electric fleet. That includes building EV infrastructure into new distribution centres under development and adding capacity across its existing sites.

The co-operative runs five distribution centres, and its trucks cover about 30 million kilometres a year.