Loblaw to buy five hydrogen fuel cell trucks from Kenworth

Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw) is announcing plans to purchase five Class 8 T680 hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) from Kenworth.

With a range of over 700 kilometers, these vehicles feature some of the very latest in carbon-free technology and will provide Loblaw with greater flexibility to complete long-haul zero-emission deliveries – regional trips that, until now, have lacked a viable decarbonized solution.

The hydrogen FCEV trucks add to the company’s growing zero-emission fleet. Earlier this year, Loblaw put its first two electric commercial Class 8 day-cab vehicles on the road, making short-haul deliveries from its Boucherville, Quebec distribution centre to stores within the Greater Montreal Area. In addition to the five hydrogen FCEVs from Kenworth, the company has approximately 35 battery electric vehicles on order from various manufacturers, with many expected to be on the road by the end of 2024.

“We’re a large company, operating an extensive supply chain network to stock stores in thousands of Canadian communities. That means our trucks are on the road in every province and territory, which creates a large footprint,” said Rob Wiebe. “We see the opportunity to fight climate change and know we have a responsibility to find new ways to cut our carbon emissions. As technologies advance, we will advance too.”

This purchase is especially meaningful, as it begins to solve the zero-emission long-haul challenge. Today, battery-electric trucks cannot haul great distances without frequent charges, but hydrogen can reliably extend driving distances across entire regions.

Loblaw was the first Canadian organization to sign a letter of intent to purchase these hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, as part of its plan to adopt new technology to help meet its environmental goals. The company’s efforts to pursue a zero-emissions long-haul fleet build on a commitment to electrify its fleet of short-haul day-cab trucks by 2030. This is part of Loblaw’s overarching commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions enterprise-wide by 2040. From 2020 to 2022, Loblaw cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 8 percent.

Kenworth’s T680 FCEV is powered by Toyota fuel cell technology and is equipped with Toyota’s 310kW Dual Motor Assembly, capable of providing 415 horsepower continuously at a maximum payload of 82,000 lbs (GCWR), and the Toyota Gen 2 Dual Fuel Cell Module.