The Giant Co. debuts first all-electric vehicles in its fleet
The Giant Co. has unveiled the first four vehicles in its growing fleet of electric vehicles. Use of the initial four vehicles is expected to reduce the company’s environmental footprint and save 9,000 gallons of gas each year, the company said in an announcement.
The grocery chain officially launched the four new delivery vans last week at a ceremony at the store at 315 York Road in Upper Moreland Township, Montgomery County. The four vans are operational and have joined Giant’s fleet that serves the greater Philadelphia region. They are being used to complete Giant Direct customer deliveries.
The vans are being used in Montgomery and Philadelphia counties and surrounding areas, according to the company, and are operating out of Giant’s Willow Grove e-commerce wareroom and fulfillment center. Their service area is based on Giant Direct home delivery order needs.
“The addition of electric vehicles is an economic and environmental investment that saves fuel costs and time while avoiding harmful emissions,” Daren Russ, company vice president, omnichannel operations, said in a statement. “Electric vehicles are a tool to strengthen the environment in the communities we serve and part of our commitment to healing our planet.”
The all-electric delivery vans are the first of their kind to join Giant’s 164-vehicle fleet. The company said it has plans to introduce additional all-electric vehicles to the fleet, although it didn’t offer further details about where and when that might be added.
In an emailed response to questions, the company said it is “excited to learn through this pilot and determine best practices to help us move forward.”
Each of the all-electric vehicles has a range of 108 miles per charge and can navigate two Giant Direct delivery routes per fullcharge, the company said in the emailed response. The vehicles are each charged approximately one to two times each day, with each charge taking about six hours to complete. Charging stations are at the Willow Grove e-commerce wareroom and fulfillment center.
“Their zero-tailpipe emission design combined with their avoidance of gasoline will prevent 171,963 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions annually,” a press release stated.
“Electric vehicles are part of The Giant Company’s ongoing commitment to sustainability,” Tracy Horsfield, company manager for e-commerce, said in a statement. “We continue to partner with sustainability leaders to reduce and offset emissions at every level of our supply chain.”
Since 2018, Giant has partnered with PDI Sustainable Solutions to implement a reduced emission program to reduce its carbon footprint. As part of the program, according to the company, every time Giant or Martin’s fuel stations are used, the program invests in sustainable efforts like reforestation, solar power and wind power to offset tailpipe emissions up to 30%. Since the program’s inception, it has offset nearly 370,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, according to the release.
In addition, Giant entered an agreement in 2021 with Constellation, an energy solutions provider, to power its Pennsylvania operations with renewable energy. The partnership has invested in four solar fields. The first solar field became operational in January.
For information about Giant’s sustainability initiatives, visit giantfoodstores. com/pages/sustainability.