Dutch retail giant Albert Heijn is ramping up its efforts to reduce CO2 emissions by expanding its fleet of electric vehicles. The company has set an ambitious goal to supply all its stores and customers in the Netherlands and Belgium with zero-emission vehicles by 2030.
Albert Heijn currently boasts the largest fleet of electric vehicles in the Netherlands, with 74 electric trucks and 250 electric delivery vans already in operation. These vehicles can be charged at ten charging hubs equipped with 270 charging stations.
The expansion of the electric delivery network to more cities is a significant development. After successful implementation in major cities like The Hague, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and Utrecht, Albert Heijn has now extended its electric vehicle delivery service to shops in Gouda, Leiden, and Delft.
This expansion will continue in the second half of 2024, with plans to add another ten cities, including Amersfoort, Assen, Nijmegen, Maastricht, Zwolle, Deventer, Tilburg, Dordrecht, Apeldoorn, and Eindhoven.
Albert Heijn’s electric vehicles currently serve over 200 shops and thousands of customers weekly, with the numbers steadily increasing. The company is committed to further expanding its fleet of electric trucks, aiming to increase the number from 74 to 100 by the end of this year and to 180 by the end of 2024.
In addition to expanding its electric vehicle fleet, Albert Heijn is also investing in its own energy generation. The company has installed 50,000 solar panels on the roofs of its distribution centers, shopping centers, and shops.
To achieve a completely carbon-neutral energy chain, Albert Heijn is looking to source a large portion of its future energy needs from a wind farm in the North Sea. These initiatives are part of Albert Heijn’s broader efforts to reduce emissions from its own operations and those of its suppliers.
