Swedish retailer Coop plans to start delivering food with electric trucks produced by Volvo to reduce its environmental impact.
As part of the pilot, the electric trucks will deliver food to 13 Coop stores in Gothenburg.
Launched in April, the 10-metre truck was designed for temperature-sensitive food transports and holds 18 pallets.
“Co-operation with Volvo means a lot for Coop. I see it as a starting point for electrifying parts of our transport by road, which in the long term will be an important part of reducing Coop’s environmental impact,” said Örjan Grandin, vice president of Coop Sweden and chief executive of its subsidiary Coop Logistik AB.
Since 2009, Coop has run its own train between southern Sweden and Mälardalen, which annually replaces 12,000 truck journeys. The retailer is also part of the DenCity project, which brings together academics and industry experts to develop sustainable transport alternatives.
The Volvo trucks are a result of collaboration between COOP and DB Schenker and enable a reduction in emissions and noise.
“We’re immensely proud to present the first in a range of fully electrically powered Volvo trucks ready for regular traffic. With this model we are making it possible for cities that aim for sustainable urban development to benefit from the advantages of electrified truck transports,” said Claes Nilsson, president of Volvo Trucks.
Coop Sweden’s trucks currently run primarily on HVO100, a fossil-free diesel fuel that reduces carbon dioxide emissions by about 92% compared to fossil diesel.
