Common sense says that electricity and fluid don’t mix, particularly when the fluid is beer, but iconic brand Victoria Bitter has deliberately mixed its legendary brew with electricity, becoming the first beer in Australia to be delivered by electric truck.
It is probably logical that the beer that is famous for its green cans and labels has embraced green transport via ts transport an logistics supplier Linfox’ Bevchain operation which has been trialling a Volvo FL electric truck for the past few months.
Volvo and Linfox hailed the initiative as an historic first with the new Volvo FL electric being the first-ever electric vehicle in the Linfox fleet, and they say, it will be the first of many Linfox electric vehicles to deliver Victoria Bitter as the production of electric vehicle ramps up worldwide.
Volvo and Linfox say the VB truck is the first mass-produced electric truck of its size in Australia and one of more than 50 Volvo FL all-electric trucks delivered globally to date.
The companies say that the electric FL will deliver beer in the same way a regular diesel truck would but in a sustainable way, transporting 100,000 or more cans and stubbies each week from the Asahi Beverages distributioncentre in Melbourne’s west to bottle shops and hotels across the city.
In another boost for sustainability, the companies said that the truck will be powered entirely by 100 per cent offset solar power drawn from Asahi Beverages’ own solar farm near Mildura in northern Victoria, making the truck is the latest sustainability initiative from VB, which has been brewed with 100 per cent offset solar electricity since last year.
Asahi Beverages, purchased Carlton & United Breweries last year, and its Group CEO, Robert Iervasi said that Linfox has delivered VB for more than 50 years and it’s fitting that the two Australian icons are taking a majorstep towards a sustainable future together.
“This truck will deliver VB and our other beers in a sustainable, safe and efficient way, which makes sound commercial sense,” Robert Iervasi said.
“It is the first of many electric trucks that will deliver our beer and transitioning our deliveries to electric vehicleswill help us achieve our ambitious sustainability goals of reducing our net carbon emissions across our entiresupply chain by 30 per cent by 2030 and to zero by 2050.”
The VB truck is decked out in the famous VB green and can travel up to 250km before it needs recharging.
Linfox Executive Chairman, Peter Fox said that the company delivers hundreds of millions of litres of beer annually for Asahi Beverages and that Australia’s domestic freight task has doubled in the past decade and will continue to grow.
“To meet this demand, Australia’s road fleet will also grow and it is essential the fleet does this safely, efficiently and with reduced environmental impact,” said Peter Fox.
“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,” he said.
“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,” he added.
“Together with our customers, we continue our commitment to build sustainable and reliable supply chains for thefuture.”
Volvo Group Australia president and CEO Martin Merrick said that the transport industry is transforming at a rapid rate.
“Electromobility is rapidly gaining traction as a transport solution and we are proud to partner with Linfox and AsahiBeverages on this exciting new journey,” said Martin Merrick.
“Environmental care is a core value shared not only by Linfox and Volvo Trucks, but also by Asahi Beverages and we are proud of those shared values,” Merrick added.
“We are committed to ensuring our vehicles will play their part in making our cities cleaner and more liveable.”
“This new truck represents the first step on that journey,” the VGA president concluded.
