Zero Tailpipe Emission Trucks Deployed for Major Supermarket Chain

(A Volvo VNR Electric paired with an electric-powered transport refrigeration unit from Advanced Energy Machines (AEM) made the first commercial 100% zero-emission grocery delivery with a Class 8 truck in the US. Credit: Albertsons)

by | Jun 1, 2021

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(A Volvo VNR Electric paired with an electric-powered transport refrigeration unit from Advanced Energy Machines (AEM) made the first commercial 100% zero-emission grocery delivery with a Class 8 truck in the US. Credit: Albertsons)

Albertsons Companies recently took delivery of two Volvo VNR Electric trucks at its distribution center in Irvine, California. The VNR Electric models from Volvo Trucks North America are the first zero tailpipe emission, battery-electric Class 8 trucks to be deployed in Albertsons Cos. company-wide fleet, and will be serving Albertsons, Vons, and Pavilions stores in Southern California.

Albertsons has procured electric-powered transport refrigeration units from Advanced Energy Machines (AEM) to pair with its Volvo VNR Electrics, enabling Albertsons Cos. to make the first commercial 100% zero-emission grocery delivery with a Class 8 truck in the US.

Albertsons Cos. operates 1,400 Class 8 trucks nationwide, all of which are certified under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SmartWay program as meeting high transportation sustainability and efficiency standards. The Southern California fleet, which is made up entirely of trucks manufactured by Volvo Trucks, covers 335 stores in the region, running from the Central Coast to the California-Mexico border.

In 2018, Albertsons announced it would add 10 Tesla Semi all-electric trucks to its Southern California fleet, the company says. The grocery store chain expects the trucks to use less than 2 kilowatt hours of energy per mile, and travel more than 300 miles on a single charge with a fully loaded trailer.

This move was part of the national food and drug retailer’s effort to lower carbon emissions and run a more sustainable transportation program. “Advancing supply chain efficiency and sustainability is an important goal for our company,” said Tom Nartker, VP of transportation for Albertsons Companies. “We’re excited to pilot this expansion of our transportation program with trucks that help us limit our overall carbon footprint.”

The Volvo VNR Electrics Albertsons acquired through Volvo Financial Services (VFS) are part of the Volvo LIGHTS (Low Impact Green Heavy Transport Solutions) project, an innovative collaboration between Volvo Trucks North America, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD), and 12 other organizations to develop a robust support ecosystem to successfully introduce battery-electric trucks and equipment into the North American transport industry at scale.

To help Albertsons maximize vehicle uptime, TEC Equipment, Volvo Trucks’ largest West Coast dealership and a Volvo LIGHTS project partner, will provide contracted maintenance and repairs through the premier Volvo Gold Contract service offering at its location in Fontana, California. TEC Equipment, as well as dealers throughout the Western U.S., will receive continued battery-electric vehicle support and access to expert knowledge about the VNR Electric model with the addition of a new Volvo Trucks training facility in Hayward, California. This 9,600-square-foot location will facilitate programs for Volvo Trucks’ employees, dealer technicians, sales staff, and aftermarket personnel, as well as owner-operators and fleet customers.

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