- AB InBev unveils Belgium’s very first electric truck
- The Volvo FL Electric Truck emits no CO2 and is low noise
Today, AB InBev pioneered the first 100% electric, emission-free city delivery in Belgium, in the centre of its home city of Leuven. The e-truck is a state-of-the-art Volvo FL Electric, fully branded as Stella Artois, as a tribute to Leuven. It will replace a diesel truck, drastically reducing CO2 emissions and noise pollution.
The very first Belgian e-truck is a Volvo FL Electric Truck, which is also partly made in Ghent, Belgium. The electric truck, still one of Europe’s first commercialized e-trucks ever, is a good example of European companies and Government working together to stimulate innovation and develop new technologies to switch to a greener future.
The AB InBev e-truck is low noise and emits no CO2 per ride, and will be deployed in the city centre of Leuven. The vehicle will be used to deliver the brewer’s much-loved beers such as Jupiler, Leffe and Stella Artois and their no-alcohol variants to supermarkets, hospitals and bars.
The e-truck can drive 120 km autonomously and will make rounds of 40km during regular opening times for bars and cafes in Leuven. Especially in the heart of the city, this will make a considerable difference to the quality of life.
Erik Novaes, European Vice President of Procurement and Sustainability for AB InBev: “As a company that relies on natural ingredients to brew beers, we see it as our duty to invest in sustainability and in new technology that helps reduce emissions. We are excited about this milestone and we will do all we can to get low carbon and zero carbon trucks across Europe, as part of our goal to reduce our CO2 emissions by 25% across our value chain by 2025.”
Fernando Maffessoni, European Vice President of Logistics for AB InBev: “We’ve made important strides in green logistics but recognize this is only the beginning. We are committed to piloting different zero-emission technologies to deliver our beers in a number of European cities. Sharing our best practices, we are firmly dedicated to working with the industry and governments towards a greener future of zero-emission transport.”
Peter Himpe, Vice President of Volvo Trucks Belux : “Volvo Trucks is proud that we can, together with world leading brewer AB InBev, which, like Volvo, has an important Belgian anchorage, show the way to a climate-neutral society. The supplied Volvo FE Electric is the first all-electric Volvo truck on our Belgian roads. With this Volvo, we clearly endorse the ambition to have only fossil fuel free trucks on the roads in Belgium by 2040. To this end, by 2030 at least 35% of all Volvo vehicles produced will be electrically propelled. It is thanks to pioneers such as AB InBev that we will be able to show the world of transport that Volvo Trucks is serious, and that it is 100% committed to contributing to the achievement of the European climate targets,”
AB InBev is opting for an increasingly sustainable logistics policy throughout Europe and earlier this year joined the European Clean Trucking Alliance (ECTA), a newly-formed coalition of European key players in road freight. The Alliance urges the EU to accelerate the transition to clean trucks in order to meet the emission targets of the proposed EU Climate Law by 2030 and achieve a carbon-neutral Europe by 2050.
In Belgium, to protect the ‘Home of Beer’, AB InBev has been exploring the use of trains and boats to deliver beer, but for city rides trucks are still important, which is where the brewer uses the latest data analysis techniques to optimize the routes the trucks drive and thus reduce the number of kilometers they have to cover.
ENDS
About AB InBev
Anheuser-Busch InBev is the world’s leading brewer and is a publicly traded company based in Leuven, Belgium. Our Dream is to bring people together for a better world. We are committed to brewing the best beers using the finest natural ingredients and to be enjoyed in a responsible manner. From our European roots at the Den Hoorn brewery in Leuven, Belgium, we are now a geographically diversified brewery with a balanced exposure to developed and developing markets, we leverage the collective strengths of approximately 175,000 employees, including 12,000 in Europe. We have offices and breweries in 18 EU Member States and our Global Innovation Centre is also based in Leuven, Belgium. Follow us on Twitter at @ABInBev_EU
For more information about Anheuser-Busch InBev, please visit www.ab-inbev.com
