Lidl Sweden to Introduce Electric Trucks to the Supply Chain
SWEDEN - A sustainable future is what many of our industry’s top innovators are chasing, and Lidl’s Sweden arm is one of the buy-side’s most ground-breaking when it comes to overhauling the supply chain in the name of green efficiency. Recently, the retailer disclosed that it is working to introduce electric trucks to the supply chain in order to be completely free from fossil fuels by 2025.
To accomplish this goal, Lidl has partnered with Swedish electric and self-driving vehicle company Einride and, together, the two companies are working to electrify and automate grocery deliveries in Sweden, set new standards to build climate neutral stores, and reduce emissions in the supply chain.
“Our first goal on that journey is to be completely free from fossil fuels by 2025, and it’s in that context our collaboration with Einride will come to fruition,” Carl Ceder, Logistics Manager of Lidl Sweden, told the news source Tech HQ. “Together, our goal is to raise the bar for electrified transportation and to show that it’s now possible to implement a large-scale electrical fleet.”
This fall, Lidl is implementing its first fleet of electric trucks, which will handle deliveries on the grocer’s regular transport routes between its central warehouses and stores in Stockholm. All in all, the new fleet should pave the way for a more environmentally friendly supply chain in the global grocery industry.
“Electrification, digitalization, and automization of transports are on the agenda, and I believe that if we are to reap the benefits of that technology, now is the time to start working with it,” Ceder concluded.
While Lidl is testing its electric fleet in Sweden, Ceder did tease that the grocer has plans to roll out the sustainable technology to more parts of Europe and the United States.
How will Lidl’s electric truck fleet improve the grocery supply chain? And will more retailers debut sustainable fleets of their own? The fresh produce industry is like a highway, and you can bet AndNowUKnow is going to keep driving it all night long to bring you the latest news.
