Mitchells Plain female truck driver to take the wheel of Shoprite’s first glow-in-the-dark battery electric vehicle

28 Nov 2022

With a driving range of about 350km when carrying a load of 40 tonnes, the truck will be used for local deliveries and will be recharged using renewable energy generated by Shoprite’s existing solar installations.

Shoprite is the first South African retailer to pilot a heavy-duty electric truck as part of its fleet, and 28-year-old Robin Jooste from Colorado Park, Mitchells Plain, has been selected to drive it.

The vehicle, a Scania battery electric vehicle (BEV), is 100% electric, meaning it does not use fossil fuels or produce any carbon emissions. The refrigerated truck can hold about 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.

With a driving range of about 350km when carrying a load of 40 tonnes, the truck will be used for local deliveries and will be recharged using renewable energy generated by Shoprite’s existing solar installations.

One of the coolest features of the truck is its signature glow-in-the-dark signage intended to make it more visible at night. When exposed to bright (day) light, the signage absorbs and stores particles. This stored energy is again emitted when it’s dark, resulting in a glow.

While Shoprite did not want to reveal the cost of the BEV truck, Scania’s website says the total cost of ownership of BEVs is expected to be the same as for all types of heavy combustion engine diesel vehicles by 2031.

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“Full-scale electrification will require four to five times more infrastructure investment relative to the present situation. In return, operating expenses are 40% lower than for heavy diesel vehicles,” Scania says. The Swedish commercial vehicle manufacturer further states that electrification is happening so fast globally, it expects 10% of its sales to be electric by 2025 and to account for as much as 50% of sales by the end of this decade.

Scania has committed to cutting carbon emissions from its own operations by 50% by 2025, as well as reducing emissions from customers’ vehicles by 20% during the same period.

“As Africa’s largest grocery retailer, Shoprite 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 acquisition of this, one of the world’s most advanced electric trucks, which we will charge using our existing renewable energy infrastructure, is another major move in this direction,” says Andrew Havinga, chief supply chain officer for the group.

The addition of the new electric truck forms part of Shoprite’s ongoing efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its supply chain. It recently acquired more than 100 of the most fuel-efficient Euro V-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.

The Scania Euro V trucks have a proven fuel saving of about 10% along with lower CO2 and NOx emissions. During the 2020/2021 financial year, the Shoprite fleet travelled close to 90 million km, delivering more than 350 million cases of products to its stores.

“Operational and supply chain efficiency play a critical role in ensuring that Shoprite remains Africa’s most affordable and accessible retailer while reducing our environmental impact. We are relentless in our efforts to improve efficiencies in our supply chain as these measures are key to extending our customers’ spending abilities,” says Havinga.

The retailer’s fleet includes 903 trucks and 1,360 trailers, of which 928 are fitted with solar panels, and it will be growing its fleet of fuel-efficient Euro V trucks annually with an additional 140 units planned by the end of 2023. DM/BM

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