A new fleet of electric lorries has been brought in to move shipments between the East and West Midlands.
Freight tech company Einride is operating the shuttles between Coventry and Walkers’ home city of Leicester. Over the initial three year partnership it is hoped the electric trucks will replace 750,000 miles of journeys which would previously have been covered using fossil fuel.
That shift will help cut the equivalent of 1,623 tonnes of CO2 emissions – and help Walkers’ parent company PepsiCo towards its goal of net zero emissions by 2040.
It is the first UK contract for Swedish firm Einride, which launched in 2016 and became the first company in the world to deploy an autonomous, electric vehicle on a public road in 2019.
The medium-term plan is for Einride’s green transport to be rolled out along some of the UK’s busiest motorways connecting London, Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol.
Einride founder and chief executive Robert Falck said: “The UK has always been at the forefront of transport history. Efficient and innovative movement of goods has always been integral to the growth and prosperity of the UK, with the British pioneering both the railway system and canal networks.”
“We’re honoured to be here, teaming up with local partners to further establish the UK as a transport pioneer and ultimately help the country meet its net zero goals.”
Archana Jagannathan, head of sustainability at PepsiCo UK, said: “At PepsiCo, we are committed to reducing the environmental impact of our business, with a goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2040 as part of our PepsiCo Positive agenda.
“Our partnership with Einride is a small yet important step towards that ambition, one that will help us drive meaningful progress in sustainable transport.
“With this initial deployment, we’re looking forward to better understanding the potential role electric trucks can play in our transport operations.”
The launch follows major 2022 expansion for Einride into Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway, as well as $500 million in financing secured last December.
The company says it is the leading operator of heavy-duty electric freight in Sweden and the US, and works with industry giants such as Maersk, AB InBev, Lidl and GE Appliances.
In a statement it said: “Since electrifying their road freight with Einride, partners have seen an up to 95% decrease in CO2 emissions while remaining cost competitive.”
