South Africa’s biggest retailer launches new ‘glow in the dark’ electric truck pilot
South Africa’s biggest grocery retailer, the Shoprite Group, says it will pilot a heavy-duty electric truck as part of its fleet.
The truck is a Scania Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) and is 100% electric, with zero reliance on fossil fuels and emits no carbon dioxide, the group said.
With a range in the region of 350km, the vehicle will be used for local deliveries and will be recharged using renewable energy generated by the group’s existing solar installations.
The refrigerated truck can hold approximately 16 pallets, has nine batteries, solar panels fitted to its roof and a fully electric cooling system which is also powered by the battery packs of the vehicle.
In a first for the country, the truck will also have special ‘glow in the dark’ signage to make it more visible when travelling at night.
“When exposed to bright daylight, the signage can absorb and store particles. This stored energy is again emitted when it’s dark, resulting in a glow,” Shoprite said.
“As Africa’s largest grocery retailer, the Shoprite Group places significant focus on reducing its environmental impact across its operations. One of the ways we’re doing this is by increasing the energy efficiency of our truck fleet.”
The addition of the new electric truck forms part of the group’s ongoing efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its supply chain.
The Shoprite group recently acquired over 100 of the most fuel-efficient Euro 5 compliant trucks in Southern Africa, and more than 900 of its trailers are fitted with solar panels, which enable the refrigeration and tailgate lift to continue to run on solar power even when the truck is switched off.
In October, Shoprite announced that it had increased its installed capacity of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems by 82% to 26,606 kWp. This was achieved through 143,674 square metres of solar panels at 62 sites – equivalent to the size of 20 soccer fields.
“This is enough to power the equivalent of 3,735 households for one full year,” the group said.
In the last financial year, the group has increased its total renewable installations from 32 to 62. These now produce 40,894 MWh – 11,614 MWh more than in November last year.
The group has doubled down in its focus on growing its solar-powered and renewable electricity installations while improving energy efficiency to reduce its environmental footprint, further reducing added strain on the national electricity grid.
Other initiatives include a drive to reduce electricity consumption by installing LED lights at its sites, which has saved 399 million kWh to date.
The group has also increased its fleet of solar-powered trailers by 234, to a total of 1,041.
Read: New features coming to Shoprite stores and delivery services
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