Cleaner, quieter grocery deliveries with Zenobē, Woolworths
Electric trucks give low emissions edge to grocery deliveries
Global electric fleet specialist Zenobē is drawing on $6 million in CEFC finance to enable Woolworths stores in NSW and Victoria to make cleaner, greener grocery deliveries.
$6 million
CEFC commitment
Greener
delivery vans
Speeding up
EV transition
This support from the CEFC enables us to deliver electric trucks and charging infrastructure for Australia’s largest supermarket retailer. Through our Electric Vehicle as-a-Service model, we handle the upfront cost and complexity of fleet electrification and manage the entire transition so our customers can focus on their core business. Our work with the CEFC shows that electrifying the truck sector is not a distant ambition. It’s achievable today.Gareth RidgeCountry Director of Electric Vehicle Fleets, Zenobē
Our investment
The CEFC has invested up to $6 million to get more Battery Electric Trucks (BETs) on Australian roads with global electric fleet specialist Zenobē, who will lease the BETs to supermarket giant Woolworths, reducing emissions for grocery deliveries and on-road transport in NSW and Victoria.
The CEFC finance supports the delivery of a fleet of 60 BETs for ‘last-mile’ deliveries – the final leg of the delivery journey to homes and businesses – to replace diesel vehicles and help reduce emissions in the transport sector.
Working with Zenobē has allowed us to scale our EV fleet quickly, helping to make our suburban streets just a little quieter and cleaner. Through Woolworths’ continued investments in EV operations and infrastructure, we hope to set an example for other businesses to support the growth of Australia’s EV industry.Henri Le ComteWoolworths Group Head of Partnerships, HomeRun
Shared infrastructure model
Truck fleet electrification presents significant operational and logistical challenges, including high upfront costs, insufficient charging infrastructure, battery replacement and grid integration all of which are compounded by existing complexity in the broader freight and logistics sector.
Zenobē, will own and operate the site and the trucks to be leased to Woolworths under an Australian-first electric vehicle as a service business model for trucks.
The 60 BETs financed by the CEFC are part of a broader $19 million project funded by ARENA and Zenobē, which includes the development of Australia’s first off-site multi-user charging hub for BETs in Mascot in Sydney.
ARENA says hub will include 22 dual port chargers integrated with smart charging software and a stationary battery mode from second-life EV batteries. It will also have the capacity to accommodate additional BETs to create a multi-user facility.
OUR IMPACT
Electrifying home delivery services
Transport is expected to be Australia’s largest source of emissions by 2029, without intervention.1 Road freight emissions are about five times higher than those from rail and domestic shipping put together,2 so BETs represent a substantial opportunity to decarbonise the sector.
The Zenobē leasing model addresses the deployment of BETS and supports the necessary charging infrastructure for Woolworths. It means major logistics and freight operators and users can transition to electric vehicles without significant capital expenditure.
A proven track record
The CEFC previously backed Zenobē and Transgrid to own, operate and lease electric buses and infrastructure to Transit Systems and Transport NSW as part of a landmark project to establish Leichhardt bus depot in Sydney as Australia’s first fully integrated EV bus depot.
The heavy truck sector is a central part of Australia's economy and supports the supply chains of most industries. We see electrifying Australia’s heavy vehicle fleet as crucial for achieving national emissions reduction targets. This is a significant opportunity to accelerate the transport sector’s transition to a green fleet and introduce a new model for heavy fleet charging, leveraging the expertise of Zenobē.Julia HinwoodHead of Infrastructure, CEFC
1 Baseline scenario, Australian Government, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Australia’s emissions projections 2022, p9.
2 Climateworks Centre, Delivering freight decarbonisation: Strategies for reducing Australia’s transport emissions summary report October 2023.
