METRO is driving e-mobility forward

METRO is driving e-mobility forward

For METRO, electromobility is part of the long-term sustainability strategy. For this reason, the wholesaler is continuing to advance its commitment to this alternative mobility. This year, further steps will be taken to implement sustainability along the entire value chain. 

The future of e-trucks began in Austria in 2018 with ten registered e-trucks. The eTruck from METRO was one of them. The three years of practical use (2018-2021) and the experience gained from it have contributed to the development and thus to the readiness for series production of today's electric trucks. The transfer of knowledge from METRO has made a significant contribution; among other things, the METRO eTruck drivers helped design the new driver cockpit and the instrument layout at MAN.

In June 2022, a similarly large 2nd generation e-truck from Renault/Volvo will be tested at the METRO site in Graz. With the experience gained from the Metro eTruck and the test series of series-ready trucks that will soon start in Graz, METRO is creating the basis for deciding which brand of electric truck will be used to supply the catering industry in the near future. METRO is once again a pioneer here and for good reason: from 2030, diesel trucks with a total weight of up to 18 tons will no longer be registered for freight transport. That's why METRO is already planning sustainably today.

Josef Pirker, Director Operations: "An electric truck is ideally suited for our type of goods transport. Our delivery trucks drive 120 to 300 kilometers every day and there are manufacturers that offer suitable battery capacities. In our wholesale markets such as in Vösendorf and Simmering, where a truck drives several short trips per day, fixed recharging cycles can also further extend the daily range."

METRO was the first in Austrian retail to start delivering with eVans – the METRO Express – in 2017. This delivers delivery customers within three hours. With the series of tests in spring 2021, it was decided which currently available eVans should be used from 2022: The METRO Express fleet will be expanded to include the E-Sprinter from Mercedes Benz. Actively cooled eVans with a total weight of up to 3.5 tons (N1 commercial vehicle class) were also tested. As soon as they are ready for series production, they will also be used in delivery in the future.

They have been available in the parking lot of the wholesale market in St. Pölten and Graz for several years, and freely accessible e-charging stations are to be built in Klagenfurt, Vienna-Simmering and Wiener Neustadt this year. The quick chargers are installed and operated by an external partner.

METRO Austria CEO Xavier Plotitza: "We are committed to the further expansion of electromobility - for our employees, in the delivery business and for our local customers. For us, promoting electromobility is not just part of our sustainability strategy. It is also crucial to sustainably improve the quality of life and air in urban regions - i.e. where the majority of our customers entertain their guests."