It looks like your entire weekend could soon go all-electric, if a couple of brewskis* and a visit to your local hardware chain is high on your typical agenda.
Thanks to transport and logistics firm Linfox, both Bunnings and Bevchain, which delivers Tooheys and other beer brands owned by beverage giant Lion to pubs, clubs and bars, started trialling electric Fuso eCanters built by Daimler this week.
Unfortunately though, for the meantime you’ll have to be in two different states on the same weekend: the Bunnings trial of two eCanters started this week in Melbourne’s south-west, while the Bevchain – which also consists of two eCanters – is taking place in metropolitan Sydney.
This minor logistical problem aside, the eCanter trials aim to demonstrate how the two companies can reach sustainability goals, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels – Australia’s dependence on which was labelled this week a “massive vulnerability” by defence experts because of our heavy reliance on imported oil.
“As leading Australian retailers continue to reduce reliance on traditional energy sources, Linfox is proud to support our customers’ ambitious sustainability targets,” said executive chair for Linfox, Peter Fox.
The eCanters being trialed by Bunnings will be charged entirely with renewably-sourced electricity at the hardware chain’s Laverton, Melbourne hub, and in the case of Bevchain, at its automated distribution Centre in Auburn, Sydney, next to the Lion brewery.
Each truck can save 60 tonnes worth of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions from being released annually into the atmosphere (based on the emissions of a Euro 6 diesel truck), according to a release from Linfox.
Lion Australia managing director David Smith said via a statement that “collaboration across industry was key to ensuring the simple joy of having a beer at the pub can be enjoyed by everyone for generations to come.”
With Lion’s sustainability goals committing to net zero by 2050, he says that, “From the farm to the brewery to the road and then the pub or bottle shop, we are looking at all the ways we can minimise our carbon footprint.”
“The Fuso eCanter is a pioneering electric truck but it is more than a statement, it is a real workhorse that can get the job done in near silence while producing zero emissions,” Smith said.
“We are thrilled Bunnings will use Linfox operated zero emission Fuso eCanters as part of its clear commitment to reduce carbon emissions and address climate change,” Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific president and CEO Daniel Whitehead said.
Lion is not the first brewery owner to look at making its delivery operations greener. In July 2021, The Driven reported that Victoria Bitter in partnership with Linfox started delivering its own liquid amber in a Volvo FL electric truck from Asahi Beverage’s operations in Melbourne’s west.
Likewise, America’s Budweiser beer started being delivered in 21 BYD electric trucks in 2019 in California, and the initial trial was apparently so successful that recently l brewing giant Anheuser-Busch has now ordered another 20 according to Electrive.
Editor’s note: Brewski is urban slang for beer, I’m told.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.