UNFI Rolls Out New Zero-Emission Refrigerated Delivery System

Deployment taking place in Sacramento and Gilroy, Calif., markets

10/16/2023

The innovative technology implemented by UNFI aims to reduce fleet fuel life cycle greenhouse-gas emissions and harmful pollutants while delivering products more efficiently and cost-effectively to customers.

United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) has introduced two battery-electric semi-trucks and five regenerative electric refrigerated trailer systems to service the Sacramento and Gilroy, Calif., markets, just ahead of the busy holiday selling season. The distributor worked with Reading, Pa.-based Penske Truck Leasing to secure two class-8 electric trucks, which include the Freightliner eCascadia and the Volvo VNR Electric models. Both vehicles feature air-ride seats, air suspension, easy charging and ample battery range and torque to meet UNFI’s typical freight-hauling and delivery needs.

UNFI will use these trucks with refrigerated trailers cooled by Carrier’s Vector eCool transport refrigeration unit (TRU). The all-electric Vector eCool uses power generated by ConMet eMobility’s nMotion TR 160-45 an in-wheel electric motor application that repurposes energy captured during coasting and braking.

[Read more: “UNFI Restructures Service Regions”]

“The introduction of these efficient electric trucks and refrigerated trailers is a huge step forward, not only toward lowering our delivery costs-per-mile and achieving our own clean transportation goals, but also in helping UNFI achieve California’s ambitious goals on the adoption of zero-emission vehicles,” noted Nick Selders, UNFI’s VP of transportation. “Implementing this zero-emission delivery solution will enable us to become more cost efficient and prevent hundreds of metric tons of greenhouse-gas emissions from entering the atmosphere per year.”

Added Selders: “It was the combination of efforts from our partners at Penske, ConMet, Carrier and PLM Fleet that enabled UNFI to put this zero-emission delivery solution together. They have all been fantastic to work with, and we are looking forward to bringing more battery-electric rigs online.”

Providence, R.I.-based UNFI delivers a wide variety of products to customer locations throughout North America, including natural product superstores, independent retailers, conventional supermarket chains, e-commerce retailers and foodservice customers. The largest publicly traded grocery distributor in America, the company is No. 20 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.