Australian beer brand Victoria Bitter has started using zero-emissions delivery trucks promising beer with a reduced environmental impact. Liveried in Victoria Bitter’s green, trucking company Linfox will use the Volvo FL electric truck to transport beer from brewer Asahi Beverages’ distribution centre in Melbourne.
Asahi says the truck is in effect powered entirely from 100% renewable sources thanks to an energy purchasing deal to buy output from the Karadoc solar farm in Mildura in Victoria.
With a single charge range of 250km it is the first purely electric Volvo truck to reach Australia.
“Linfox has delivered VB for more than 50 years. It’s fitting these two Australian icons are taking this major step towards a sustainable future together,” said Robert Iervasi, group CEO of Asahi Beverages which purchased Carlton & United Breweries last year.
“This truck will deliver VB and our other beers in a sustainable, safe and efficient way, which makes sound commercial sense.”
Iervasi says the Volvo FL truck is just the first of many to come, as the company works towards its sustainability goals: “It is the first of many electric trucks that will deliver our beer. Transitioning our deliveries to electric vehicles will help us achieve our sustainability goals of reducing our net carbon emissions across our entire supply chain by 30% by 2030 and to zero by 2050.”
Linfox executive chairman Peter Fox said, “Australia’s domestic freight has doubled in the past decade and will continue to grow. It is essential the fleet does this safely, efficiently and with reduced environmental impact.
“We are proud to introduce Volvo’s first electric vehicle in Australia to the Linfox fleet. The majority of Linfox’s carbon emissions come from transportation tasks. As we continue our journey to act sustainably and achieve zero net emissions by 2030, the way we operate will change in response, with more electric vehicles planned for our fleet and increased use of rail transport where viable.”
