Tuesday 3rd December, Brussels 9am CET: AB InBev, the world’s leading brewer and Volvo Trucks, have announced today the order of a brand new in series produced Volvo Electric Truck, which will deliver beers in the heart of Europe from April 2020.
The move is being celebrated with one of the new models, the Volvo FL Electric Truck, arriving in Brussels to the Place du Luxembourg today.
As the incoming European Commission begins work on the new European Green Deal, this Electric Truck, which will be one of Europe’s first ever commercialized e-trucks, is a timely example of European companies collaborating to boost innovation and develop new technologies to shift towards a greener future.
The Volvo FE Electric truck, which runs on green electricity, is low noise and emits no CO2per ride, will be delivered to AB InBev in April 2020. The vehicle will be used to deliver its beers such as Jupiler, Leffe and Stella Artois, as part of a wider fleet of electric vehicles AB InBev is investing in across Europe, including Belgium, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.
Richard White, European VP of Procurement and Sustainability for AB InBev commented: “As a company that relies on natural resources to make our beers, we see it as our duty, along with our partners like Volvo Trucks, to invest in new technology that contributes to a reduction in emissions. We are excited by this milestone but we recognize that this is very much a first step for our European business. This is one of our first in a sequence of orders of series-produced e-trucks in Europe we plan to make over the next five years and took strong internal and external collaboration to get to this point. We are now looking forward to 2020 being a year of testing, working with our public and private partners and exploring how we can break down barriers to further investment and infrastructure improvement in this area.”
Krista Walsh, Director EU Comm. & Sustainability Affairs at Volvo Group added: “Electromobility is changing the automotive world and in the near future, it will change how we plan our cities and infrastructure. Electric trucks offer huge potential in urban areas. First, the low noise levels make it possible to carry out deliveries and refuse collection in early mornings, late evenings or even at night, helping to improve transport logistics and reduce congestion during peak hours. Second, with zero emissions and less noise, electric trucks create new opportunities for city planning and road infrastructure. An electric truck can, for example, be used in indoor loading areas and environmental zones.”
As Europe’s Green Deal gets underway, fully electrified trucks will be an important enabler for the transportation of goods within urban areas. “Further incentives for building public and private charging infrastructure and subsidies or tax breaks for those who choose to invest in climate-efficient technology would make a big difference to accelerate this growth.” continued Krista Walsh.
In order to transition towards a greener fleet in Europe, both AB InBev and Volvo Trucks are calling on good governance and multi-partner collaboration. Richard White added: “An e-truck costs around five times as much as a diesel truck and the technology, while encouraging, is still in its first phase. The industrial partners who are signing up now are real pioneers and governments could encourage both producers and customers like us to take further steps, for example by providing improved recharging infrastructure for cars and trucks. For our part, we will do all we can to get low carbon and zero carbon trucks across Europe.”
This Volvo FE Electric Truck will replace a Diesel truck, resulting in a 100% reduction in CO2 emissions and a drastic drop in noise. The move is part of AB InBev’s 2025 Sustainability Goals, one of which is the commitment to reduce emissions across its global business by 25% by 2025. This would be the equivalent of taking more than a million and a half cars off the road every year.
The Volvo Electric Truck will be situated at the EU quarter on Tuesday 3rd December 2019 and AB InBev and Volvo Trucks are inviting guests to a beer reception nearby at Place du Luxembourg to celebrate.
For more details about the truck please contact Karen Schulpzand, +32 476 75 08 60.
ENDS
For more information please contact:
Karen Schulpzand, PR Manager, Volvo Trucks Belux : Mob +32 476 75 08 60 / karen.schulpzand@volvo.com
Louise Fernley, European Communications Director, AB InBev : +44(0)7961406684 / louise.fernley@ab-inbev.com
About Anheuser-Busch InBev
Anheuser-Busch InBev is a publicly traded company (Euronext: ABI) based in Leuven, Belgium, with secondary listings on the Mexico (MEXBOL: ANB) and South Africa (JSE: ANH) stock exchanges and with American Depositary Receipts on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BUD). Our Dream is to bring people together for a better world. Beer, the original social network, has been bringing people together for thousands of years. We are committed to building great brands that stand the test of time and to brewing the best beers using the finest natural ingredients. Our diverse portfolio of well over 500 beer brands includes global brands Budweiser®, Corona® and Stella Artois®; multi-country brands Beck’s®, Castle®, Castle Lite®, Hoegaarden® and Leffe®; and local champions such as Aguila®, Antarctica®, Bud Light®, Brahma®, Cass®, Cristal®, Harbin®, Jupiler®, Michelob Ultra®, Modelo Especial®, Quilmes®, Victoria®, Sedrin®, and Skol®. Our brewing heritage dates back more than 600 years, spanning continents and generations. From our European roots at the Den Hoorn brewery in Leuven, Belgium. To the pioneering spirit of the Anheuser & Co brewery in St. Louis, US. To the creation of the Castle Brewery in South Africa during the Johannesburg gold rush. To Bohemia, the first brewery in Brazil. Geographically diversified with a balanced exposure to developed and developing markets, we leverage the collective strengths of approximately 175,000 employees based in nearly 50 countries worldwide.
About Volvo Trucks
Volvo Trucks provides complete transport solutions for professional and demanding customers, offering a full range of medium to heavy duty trucks. Customer support is secured via a global network of more than 2.100 dealers and workshops in more than 130 countries. Volvo trucks are assembled in 15 countries across the globe. In 2018, more than 127.000 Volvo trucks were delivered worldwide. Volvo Trucks in Ghent, the first CO2 neutral automotive factory in the world, is the largest assembly plant of Volvo Trucks, specialized in heavy trucks and cabs. Volvo Trucks is part of Volvo Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks, buses and construction equipment and marine and industrial engines. The Group also provides solutions for financing and service. Volvo Trucks’ work is based on the core values of quality, safety and environmental care.
