Giant Food has added two electric delivery vehicles to its fleet of 128 vehicles. Based in Maryland, the EVs will make last-mile deliveries to customers throughout Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia and Delaware.
“Cleaner transportation is part of Giant’s larger sustainability efforts and commitment to supporting the local environment,” said Joe Urban, vice president of distribution operations at Giant Food. “We are excited to bring these vehicles into our Giant Delivers fleet and kick off the transition to all-electric delivery.”
The purchase of the vehicles was made possible through a grant awarded to Giant by the Maryland Energy Administration’s Clean Fuels Incentive Program (CFIP), which is designed to create a cleaner and greener transportation sector within Maryland.
“We are thrilled to represent another EV milestone through our Clean Fuels Incentive Program for Maryland,” MEA Director Mary Beth Tung said. “As we continue to cement our standing as a transportation electrification leader, we know that supporting the deployment of fleet electric vehicles reduces our reliance on foreign petroleum and emissions while also lowering operating costs for businesses.”
Over the next several years Giant plans to transition more of its delivery fleet to all-electric, and the deployment of these first two vehicles marks the next stage in Giant’s commitment to making a positive environmental impact. The new vehicles can cover 105 miles on one charge and will allow drivers to omit fuel stops during the course of daily deliveries.
The two vehicles were purchased from Motiv Power Systems, a maker of medium-duty all-electric trucks and buses. The vehicles will produce zero emissions while still providing the same grocery storage capacity. Over the lifetime of the vehicles, they are expected to displace over 210,000 gallons of petroleum and reduce GHG emissions by 63%.
With the price of gas averaging around $5 a gallon, many companies are looking at alternative delivery methods. Walmart is also using EVs for deliveries, and Tso Chinese Delivery has a fleet of EVs for delivery. Especially with tax credits, electric vehicles can be a solid option for delivery.
This is not the first green initiative Giant has announced recently. The company partnered with GreenPrint to develop and launch a Reduced Emissions Program for fuel locations in Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. At no additional cost to the customer, the Reduced Emissions Program will automatically calculate and offset up to 30 percent of vehicle emissions generated from gallons of gas sold at Giant Food pumps through investments in certified carbon reduction projects. The certified offset projects are furthering environmental innovation to reduce the harmful effects of carbon and include reforestation, alternative energy, and methane reduction.
“Giant is committed to making sustainable choices in our business that have a positive impact on the environment,” Giant Food President Ira Kress. “We are proud to be working with GreenPrint to reduce fuel emissions and to be bringing this program to our customers so they may join us in helping our communities and the planet.”
