Carlisle, Pa.-based The Giant Co. has added four electric vehicles to its fleet to fulfill Giant Direct customer deliveries — keeping fresh produce fresh — in the Philadelphia area, while reducing the company's environmental footprint.
These electric vehicles can save almost 9,000 gallons of gas each year, according to a news release.
“The addition of electric vehicles is an economic and environmental investment that saves fuel costs and time while avoiding harmful emissions,” Omnichannel Operations Vice President Daren Russ said in the release.
The electric vehicles are the first of their kind to join the company's 164-vehicle fleet and can travel 108 miles per charge. The zero-tailpipe emission design combined with the avoidance of gasoline will prevent 171,963 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions annually, according to the release. The Giant Co. plans to introduce more all-electric vehicles to its fleet in the next few years.
The omnichannel retailer serves shoppers in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and New Jersey, including 193 stores, 132 pharmacies, 107 fuel stations and more than 180 online pickup hubs and grocery delivery service. Company brands include Giant, Martin's, Giant Heirloom Market, Giant Direct and Martin's Direct. The Giant Co. is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA.
Related news: The Giant Co. partners with Constellation to use renewable energy
The electric vehicle pilot is part of The Giant Co.'s overall commitment to sustainability. Since 2018, Giant has partnered with PDI Sustainable Solutions to implement a reduced emission program to reduce its carbon footprint. Every time Giant or Martin's fuel stations are used, the program invests in sustainable efforts such as reforestation, solar power and wind power to offset tailpipe emissions up to 30%.
Since the program's inception, it has offset nearly 370,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, the release said.
Photo: Courtesy of The Giant Co.
“We continue to partner with sustainability leaders to reduce and offset emissions at every level of our supply chain,” The Giant Co. E-commerce Manager Tracy Horsfield said in the release.
Building on its sustainability efforts, in 2021, The Giant Co. entered an agreement with Constellation, an energy solutions provider, to power its Pennsylvania operations with renewable energy. The partnership has invested in four solar fields, the first of which became operational in January to avoid more than 100,000 metric tons of Scope 2 carbon emissions associated with the company's annual energy use.