AB InBev to deliver beers using electric Volvo trucks next year

AB InBev will start delivering beers such as Jupiler, Leffe and Stella Artois in Europe using electric trucks as of April 2020.

The world’s largest brewer has this week announced the order of a new electric lorry from Volvo Trucks.

The Volvo FE Electric truck, which is low-noise and emits no CO2, is part of a wider fleet of electric vehicles AB InBev is investing in across Europe, including Belgium, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.

AB InBev said that as the incoming European Commission begins work on the new European Green Deal, this electric truck is “a timely example of European companies collaborating to boost innovation and develop new technologies to shift towards a greener future”.

Richard White, European VP of procurement and sustainability for AB InBev, said: “As a company that relies on natural resources to make our beers, we see it as our duty, along with our partners like Volvo Trucks, to invest in new technology that contributes to a reduction in emissions. 

“We are excited by this milestone but we recognise that this is very much a first step for our European business. This is one of our first in a sequence of orders of series-produced e-trucks in Europe we plan to make over the next five years and took strong internal and external collaboration to get to this point.

“We are now looking forward to 2020 being a year of testing, working with our public and private partners and exploring how we can break down barriers to further investment and infrastructure improvement in this area.”

The move forms part of AB InBev’s 2025 Sustainability Goals, one of which is the commitment to reduce emissions across its global business by 20% by 2025. This would be the equivalent of taking more than 1.5 million cars off the road every year.

Krista Walsh, director EU communication and sustainability affairs at Volvo Group, added: “Electric trucks offer huge potential in urban areas. First, the low noise levels make it possible to carry out deliveries and refuse collection in early mornings, late evenings or even at night, helping to improve transport logistics and reduce congestion during peak hours.

“Second, with zero emissions and less noise, electric trucks create new opportunities for city planning and road infrastructure. An electric truck can, for example, be used in indoor loading areas and environmental zones.”