One of country's largest food distributors is launching its first Canadian fleet of non-emitting vehicles on Vancouver Island.
Sysco's Langford distribution facility is now equipped with eight fully electric heavy-duty transport trucks, along with the charging infrastructure where the vehicles will plug in each night.
Sysco workers, government officials and the community celebrated the launch at the company's West Shore Parkway site on Thursday (Sept. 5) – one day before the zero-emission trucks will hit the road to make their first local deliveries.
“This work is important for us to deliver clean air for our communities, quieter deliveries for our customers and a better driving experience for our delivery workers," Sysco's B.C. region president Bill Harasymchuk said.
The company, which hails itself as Canada and the world's largest food distributor, in 2021 set the goal of cutting its greenhouse gas emissions by upwards of 27 per cent by 2030. Electrifying their fleet is an important component of cutting those emissions and the company hopes to keep expanding its current total of 130 non-emitting vehicles globally, Sysco CAO Neil Russell said.
"When it comes to taking responsible actions, we don't rest," Russell told the crowd on Thursday. "These efforts are driven by our commitment to protect the planet and the environment and create positive change also in the communities in which we live and serve."
The 18-wheeler-style trucks require little maintenance and will recharge at Sysco's Langford yard overnight. Russell said Sysco data shows their other electric trucks are leaving in the morning with a 90 per cent charge and return after an a full shift with about 60 per cent of their power remaining. He added their drivers also enjoy how quiet and smooth the vehicles are.
Harjit Sajjan, Canada's emergency preparedness minister, praised the electrification efforts as he pointed to the impacts of recent wildfires and floods across the country.
"You play a very important role as part of preventing these kinds of disasters," he said.
The minister added that Canada aims to be a leader at developing every piece of the electric-vehicle supply chain and said Sysco helped spur innovation in the trucking sector by announcing its intention to reduce emissions.
The Vancouver MP noted when he was in the military, more and more of the conflicts troops were responding to could be linked to the devastation brought on by climate change. Sajjan participated in four deployments to Afghanistan and Bosnia.
"To see the leadership that Sysco and all of you are taking here, it gives me hope that we can turn things around, because there is only one planet," he said.
Langford-Juan de Fuca MLA Ravi Parmar noted that just down the road from Sysco is another yard housing the Sooke School District's electric buses, which were the first of their kind in the province.
"To be able to have this level of innovation here in British Columbia, but most importantly here in Langford, is fantastic," he said.
"You are thinking generations ahead with this investment and I hope other companies that are in the trucking business, but also in other aspects of our economy, look at what they can be doing to fight climate change."
