Sainsbury’s is claiming to have become the first major supermarket in the UK to deliver online grocery orders using an electric powered van.
Called Evie, the 100% electric vehicle will drop off up to 30 orders a day to its customers across central and east London.
With the van producing zero emissions, Sainsbury’s said it was a test to see whether the technology could be an efficient way of delivering groceries to customers in busy cities.
The vehicle has a range of around 80 miles on a single charge and the capacity to carry the same weight as a diesel vehicle. The deliveries will be made from Sainsbury’s online fulfilment centre in Bromley-by-Bow, where the vehicle will be charged overnight.
A second electric van, named Stevie by Sainsbury’s, will be introduced in London next month, ahead a possible wider roll-out to other areas served by the retailer’s online business.
Clodagh Moriarty, Sainsbury’s Group Chief Digital Officer, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Evie to the team and lead the charge in putting the latest electric van technology to the test for grocery deliveries.
“We’re always looking at how we can use the latest innovations to best serve our customers and this trial will help us explore how we can deliver Sainsbury’s groceries in a more environmentally-friendly way.”
Last month, the Co-op launched its online grocery service that uses electric bikes to make deliveries to customers close to its stores. Sainsbury’s also begun testing electric cargo bikes in April 2018.
NAM Implications:
- A first for Sainsbury’s has to be optimised via roll-out.
- Best for NAMs to anticipate and propose initiatives that amplify the inevitable impact.
