• Shoprite Group has added an electric Scania truck to its fleet.
• The truck has a range of 350km and can carry 16 pallets.
• The truck can also glow in the dark although that’s more for marketing than functionality really.

Much like the stars that may have adorned your ceiling when you were growing up, Shoprite group has a new delivery truck that glows in the dark.

That’s not the most notable feature however as the truck is a fully electric vehicle with a range of approximately 350km. The new heavy-duty electric vehicle joins part of the Shoprite Group’s fleet.

“As Africa’s largest grocery retailer, the Shoprite Group places significant focus on reducing its environmental impact across its operations. One of the ways we’re doing this is by increasing the energy efficiency of our truck fleet. The acquisition of this, one of the world’s most advanced electric trucks, which we will charge using our existing renewable energy infrastructure, is another major move in this direction,” chief supply chain officer at Shoprite Group, Andrew Havinga, said in a statement.

The Scania truck that Shoprite is using is said to hold approximately 16 pallets. More important however are the nine batteries and solar panels atop the roof that help power the electric cooling system in the trailer. It’s a neat package that we hope to see more of from the retailer.

The chances of that happening are quite strong with the group making a hard push toward sustainable solutions. The first major milestone is 2027 when Shoprite Group hopes to have 25 percent of its operations running on renewable energy.

Switching to renewable energy has already reportedly saved the firm R16 million in electricity costs.

Addressing the environmental impact of the supply chain is incredibly important and Shoprite isn’t done with this single truck. The retail giant recently acquired 100 Scania Euro V trucks which use 10 percent less fuel and emit fewer carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide gases.

The Shoprite Group’s first electric truck will be driven by Robin Jooste (pictured above), a 28-year-old from Colorado Park in Mitchells Plain.

“I hope to break the mould and encourage more women to consider a career in truck driving,” Jooste said in a statement.