Unilever Australia has entered into a partnership with New Energy Transport (NET) to initiate its first electric vehicle (EV) commercial freight deliveries.
Under the agreement, NET will provide a Volvo heavy electric prime mover, along with operational support, to handle specific delivery routes within Unilever’s customer network in Sydney.
The electric vehicle will transport goods from Unilever’s warehouse facility located in Ingleburn to various regional customer sites.
The project serves as an initial operational test to evaluate the performance, service parameters, and reliability of heavy electric logistics within an Australian Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) supply chain.
The deployment aligns with Unilever’s corporate target to reach net-zero emissions across its global value chain by 2039.
This logistics shift comes amid broader energy transitions in NSW, where renewable energy generation currently accounts for over one-third of the total electricity supply, and consumer EV adoption has grown to exceed 20 per cent over four years.
Brooke Sprott, head of corporate affairs and sustainability for Unilever ANZ, said that managing emissions in heavy freight transport remains a complex supply chain challenge requiring multi-company cooperation.
New Energy Transport co-CEO Fredrik Pehrsson noted that the deployment of this initial prime mover allows the logistics provider to onboard its first commercial customer for heavy road freight operations.
“Electric road freight means lower costs, greater reliability and a real cut in emissions, and it’s brands like Unilever that will drive the shift at scale, decarbonising their supply chains while delivering greater efficiency,”
There’s real momentum building, and we’re proud to see our first electric truck hit the road carrying essential consumer goods for Unilever,” said Pehrsson.
Earlier this year, Unilever tested refill systems to reduce plastic waste in daily products.
