Tate & Lyle Sugars (TLS), a member of the ASR Group® family of companies, unveiled an innovative solution to lower emissions of sugar deliveries by integrating two Volvo FM electric trucks into its operations in the U.K. The initiative supports the company’s aspiration to be the most sustainable and ethical sugarcane company in the world.
The two fully electric vehicles will save approximately 55,000 diesel miles annually, representing a shift towards cleaner logistics.
"It’s commendable that the company put forward the investment for these battery electric vehicles, first and foremost," said Matthew Whitwell, TLS’ Head of Logistics and Customer Services. "It’s also commendable that we’re taking on a lot of challenges with these investments, and it shows how we’re thinking forward. The fact that we are making a decisive move to find out more about electric vehicles by investing in them, using them, and learning about them speaks volumes to our commitment to improving urban air quality, as well as the responsibility we’re taking to move the conversation forward to support sustainability aims on behalf of our customers."
The two trucks service key logistics routes in East London. One vehicle handles palletised product transfers from the Thames Refinery to an external warehouse, while the other manages bulk deliveries to major customers within the area and handles sugar movements between the company’s Thames Refinery and Plaistow factories.
Diesel transport emissions are one of the leading contributors to urban air pollution. By implementing these two electric vehicles, TLS is reducing emissions and improving air quality.
A further environmental advantage of these vehicles is their compliance with London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) standards, which have grown stricter in recent years.
"The new trucks are not only tools, but they are also symbols of progress, responsibility and a shared promise to future generations,” Whitwell said. “They lead the way with every quieter, 100% electric delivery, and are a vision of what’s possible when innovation is on display.”
To honor its heritage while working for a cleaner future, TLS revealed one of its new electric trucks outside the British Commercial Vehicle Museum in Leyland, Lancashire, which charts the UK’s commercial vehicle history since the 1800s and proudly displays a number of the company’s retired commercial vehicles.