Burger King, which is the world’s fifth-largest fast food chain, announced that by 2030 it wants to transition its entire North American field team fleet to electric vehicles.
The fast-serving hamburger chain said in a recent statement that until now, 31 percent of its field team fleet has already transitioned to EVs across 16 states, with an end goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030 compared with 2019.
“It was instantly clear Burger King is serious about following through with their commitments and finding solutions that have long-term payoff and positive impact on the environment,” said David Madrigal, Chief Commercial Officer at Element Fleet Management, the company that sourced the EVs and launched the program for Burger King.
It’s worth noting that the fast-food firm works on a franchise-based system and that the field team offers support to the franchisees across the country, driving more than 1,500 miles on average each month.
In the past, Burger King has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and this latest development proves the company is on the right track to lower its carbon footprint. Back in 2020, Blink Charging signed an agreement with the fast-food chain to install several EV charging stations at Burger King locations in the Northeast.
Subway and Taco Bell also plan on revamping some of their locations with fast EV chargers, playgrounds, Wi-Fi, and more, in a move to entice electric car owners to stop at their restaurants and have a break while their vehicles are recharging.
Burger King was founded in 1964 in Miami, Florida, with its signature Whopper burger making its way onto the menu in 1957. Currently, Burger King is a subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International, which also owns Tim Hortons, Popeyes, and Firehouse Subs.
In 2021, Burger King had over 19,000 locations across the world, making it the fifth-largest fast-food chain on the planet, behind McDonald's, Subway, Starbucks, and KFC.
