Vancouver - Loblaw has taken one small step to unveil its first full electric Class 8 truck, and one giant leap to reduce its carbon footprint.
Catherine McKenna, minister of Environment and Climate Change, joined Loblaw Companies Ltd. in Vancouver recently, to unveil the 53-foot, fully electric Class 8 truck.
Rob Wiebe, executive vice president of the supply chain, says the company has a critical role to play as one of country’s largest energy users, and he plans to help Canada reach its carbon reduction targets.
“We are committed to leading responsibly in this area, working with our partners like BYD for sustainable solutions to help our company, and our country, meet those goals.”
BYD, the manufacturer of the truck, is the largest manufacturer of electric vehicles in the world, and a global leader in battery electric buses and trucks.
Loblaw plans to move all its corporately owned trucking fleet to electric vehicles.
They said in a recent press statement, “Removing diesel from transport trucks and refrigerated trailers could reduce more than 94,000 tonnes of C02 emissions per year, the equivalent of removing more than 20,000 cars from the road.”
Loblaw believes it can reduce its carbon footprint by 30 percent in 2030.
By 2030, emissions associated with electricity consumption will be reduced by 35 per cent, transportation by 25 per cent, and refrigerants by 50 per cent. It will also improve waste diversion to 80 per cent in stores, and 95 per cent in distribution centres, according to their press statement.
