AkzoNobel has announced the deployment of its first 100% electric trucks and urban trailer fleet together with a nationwide hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) powered fleet in partnership with XPO Logistics.
The initiative aims to cut the company’s transport emissions by over 50% and save approximately 3,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually, directly supporting AkzoNobel’s SBTi to reduce Scope 1 emissions by 50% by 2030, against a 2018 baseline.
In the move, AkzoNobel will become one of the first paint brands in the UK to deploy large-scale electric heavy goods vehicles (eHGVs) under the government’s ZEHID programme.
The transformation will deliver annual carbon savings in the three key areas of ehicle efficiency improvements (300 tonnes CO2 reduction); Euro 6 engines and electric vehicles (700 tonnes CO2 reduction); and HVO fuel adoption (2,000 tonnes CO2 reduction).
These combined savings of 3,000 tonnes annually equate to removing more than 650 average passenger cars from UK roads for a year.
Two fully electric trucks will operate from AkzoNobel’s Slough site to serve London and the surrounding areas. These vehicles will deliver a 100% reduction in direct CO2 emissions while in operation and contribute to lower noise and air pollution. The HVO-powered fleet will operate nationwide, ensuring significant reductions in carbon footprint across both long and short-haul journeys.
AkzoNobel’s fleet changes are being delivered in partnership with XPO Logistics, offering advanced multimodal transport solutions and expertise in alternative energies for sustainable supply chains.
Kathryn Ledson, MD Decorative Paints UKI at AkzoNobel said:
“The launch of our new electric and HVO-powered fleets is a proud milestone in our sustainability journey. At AkzoNobel, we are committed to painting the future by taking bold forward-thinking action – not only though the innovative and sustainable products we create for our customers, but also through how we function as a business.
“This investment is a clear demonstration of how we are delivering on our science-based targets and taking responsibility for our impact. The announcement builds on our strong history of embedding sustainability at the heart of our operations, product portfolio and partnerships”.
Dan Myers, Managing Director – UK and Ireland, XPO Logistics, said:
“AkzoNobel and XPO Logistics are united by a belief that real progress is built on action, not aspiration. By delivering measurable, large-scale emissions reductions through our logistics partnership, we’re turning shared values into shared results.”
Image courtesy of AkzoNobel
