Victoria Bitter is going green with deliveries across Melbourne shifting to the first all-electric vehicle in the Linfox fleet, with more electric vehicles delivering VB to follow.
The VB truck is the first mass-produced electric truck of its size in Australia and the first Volvo FL all-electric in Australia. It will deliver beer like a regular diesel truck but in a sustainable way: transporting 100,000+ cans and stubbies each week from Asahi Beverages’ distribution centre in Melbourne’s west to bottleshops and venues across the city.
Robert Iervasi, Group CEO of Asahi Beverages, said: “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.
“This truck will deliver VB and our other beers in a sustainable, safe and efficient way, which makes sound commercial sense.
“It is the first of many electric trucks that will deliver our beer. Transitioning our deliveries to electric vehicles will help us achieve our ambitious sustainability goals of reducing our net carbon emissions across our entire supply chain by 30 per cent by 2030 and to zero by 2050.”
Linfox delivers hundreds of millions of litres of beer annually for Asahi Beverages and the new 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: “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.
“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.
“Together with our customers, we continue our commitment to build sustainable and reliable supply chains for the future.”