Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn has extended its emission-free delivery service to cover all shops within Amsterdam’s city centre ring road. The company has increased its fleet of electric trucks and enhanced its charging infrastructure at the Home Shop Center (HSC) Amsterdam depot to support this expansion.
The move builds on over a year of electric deliveries within the city. With this extension, Albert Heijn now delivers to a larger area, eight times the size of its original ‘zero-emission zone’ (ZE). The company currently delivers 10,000 customer orders per week to 82 shops within the city centre ring road using electric vehicles.
The company’s fleet has grown to 50 electric trucks, and the number of charging stations at its depot has doubled. Albert Heijn is also working towards expanding its emission-free deliveries to 29 ZE zones across the Netherlands by the end of 2025. In November 2024, delivery to Dordrecht, Zwolle, and Deventer will begin, with additional cities planned for 2025.
Albert Heijn’s director of business development & partnerships, Rob Heesen, highlighted the company’s investment in electric transport, stating, “We fill 7 million plates every day, a big responsibility. In order to do this as sustainably as possible, we are investing heavily in electric transport for transporting our products to stores and customers.” Heesen added that the initiative would have a positive impact on reducing CO2e emissions in Amsterdam.
While Albert Heijn continues its efforts, the political landscape in the Netherlands has shifted, with the new government suspending plans to ban diesel commercial vehicles in certain urban areas starting in 2025. Despite these developments, Albert Heijn plans to proceed with its zero-emission delivery program, although it has noted challenges due to the lack of uniform regulations. Heesen commented, “Fortunately, Europe is setting clear boundaries, so it will happen regardless.”
