Victoria Bitter is going green as BevChain starts Melbourne deliveries in an electric truck today. The historic first will see Australia’s most iconic beer transported in a new Volvo FL all-electric by beverage logistics partner, BevChain, a wholly owned subsidiary of Linfox.
This is the first-ever electric vehicle in the Linfox and BevChain fleet. 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 bottle shops and beer lovers across the city.
In another boost for sustainability, the truck will be powered entirely by 100 per cent offset solar power drawn from Asahi Beverages’ solar farm near Mildura in northern Victoria. The truck is the latest sustainability initiative from VB, which has been brewed with 100 per cent offset solar electricity since last year.
Group CEO of Asahi Beverages, which purchased Carlton & United Breweries last year, Robert Iervasi said: “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.”
The VB truck is decked out in the famous VB green and can travel up to 250km before it needs recharging.
BevChain delivers hundreds of millions of litres of beer annually for Asahi Beverages.
President BevChain, Misha Shliapnikoff said: “The launch of BevChain’s first electric vehicle is a step change in sustainable transport, and a core part of our strategy to act sustainably.
“We are proud to be onboarding this vehicle for Asahi Beverages branded with the iconic VB brand.
“The introduction of this vehicle, one of several electric vehicles that we are launching in 2021, recognises BevChain as the leader in sustainable transport, and continues to demonstrate our commitment to customers to innovate in the beverage sector,” he said.
Pictured below Executive Chairman Linfox, Peter Fox and BevChain driver, Robert
BevChain is a Corporate Partner of the Drinks Association.
