Bakery firm Hovis adds electric vehicles to delivery fleet as part of sustainability drive

Hovis has introduced the first all-electric vehicles into its UK delivery fleet, to “prepare for a lower carbon future,” according to CEO Nish Kankiwala.

The British bakery firm is trialling two 7.5 tonne FUSO eCanter trucks for deliveries in London.

Hovis said that it hopes the electric vehicles aim to reduce exhaust and noise pollution in urban areas across the UK.

Manufactured by Mitsubishi-owned electric vehicle maker FUSO, the trucks can travel up to 60 miles on a single charge.

SEE ALSO:

• PepsiCo partners with Loop Industries for 100% sustainable plastic packaging
• AB InBev ramps up sustainability efforts with a new ‘robo-warehouse’ in the UK
• Mondelez International to make all packaging recyclable by 2025 as part of sustainability drive

“We are very proud to be the first company to introduce electric bread lorries, with the first delivery marking an important step in our efforts to cut our logistics carbon footprint,” Hovis chief executive Nish Kankiwala said.

“The two eCanter vehicles will play an important role in sustainable fleet management and we are excited to see them in action.”

The news comes shortly after Hovis announced that it is going to overhaul its packaging in a push to encourage more customers to reduce their plastic bread bags.

From next month, the brand will feature clearer recycling messaging and instructions on its bags.

Hovis has also already removed two million-worth of road miles through improved vehicle routing and optimised road fill.

“As part of our environmental strategy we have already installed more efficient route planning and are rolling out clearer labelling on our packaging to communicate that our bread bags are 100% recyclable,” Kankiwala added.

“We will continue to explore other initiatives to reduce both our packaging and wider corporate carbon footprint for a greener future.”

Today, Hovis delivers around 1.3mn loaves of bread every weekday throughout the UK and Ireland.