National transport operator Toll Group has announced the next phase of its heavy electric vehicle program, introducing new electric rigid trucks to its Perth fleet alongside Asahi Beverages.
The new fleet of electric rigid trucks will now enter metropolitan beverage distribution for Asahi in Perth, marking the largest route-to-market fleet in a single location within Australia.
Operating from Asahi’s Forrestfield Distribution Centre, five Volvo FE electric rigids will complete over 36,000 deliveries per year, transporting kegs and packaged beer, liquor and non-alcoholic beverages to bottle shops and licensed venues across the city.
Each truck features a 12-pallet tautliner body with livery featuring some of Australia’s most iconic beer brands, including Carlton Dry, Victoria Bitter and Balter. These electric vehicles will support daily, high-volume beverage deliveries across metro areas.
The joint investment also includes three dedicated dual-port 60 kW DC charging stations installed at Asahi’s Forrestfield site. Capable of operating up to 270 kms on a single charge, the electric fleet will replace diesel-powered trucks and is expected to collectively abate up to 140 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually – the equivalent of taking more than 50 average family cars off the road each year.
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“This milestone builds on our longstanding partnership with Asahi and represents the next step in our shared decarbonisation journey. By deploying electric trucks across Perth’s high volume metro network, we’re showing how lower-emissions transport can be achieved at scale, without compromising service reliability, safety or customer needs,” Toll Group president of retail and consumer Nick Vrckovski says.
Asahi Beverages CEO Amanda Sellers says using electric trucks to transport beer in Perth marks a “significant milestone” in the company’s bid to reduce emissions.
“Thanks to our partnership with Toll, these electric trucks will safely deliver our beer just like a regular diesel truck,” Sellers says.
“This investment makes commercial sense for our business and is a big step towards creating sustainable and reliable supply chains with our customers and partners.”
This deployment forms part of Toll’s broader $67 million investment in battery electric heavy vehicles and charging infrastructure, co-funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) through its ‘Driving the Nation’ program.
In recent months, Toll has launched electric rigids and prime movers with major grocery and beverage customers nationwide, creating the largest third-party deployment of battery electric heavy vehicles in Australia.
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