Landmark deal secures future for electric freight
Woolworths and Zenobē have announced a landmark deal to lease 148 electric trucks, marking one of Australia’s largest electric truck fleet rollouts to date.
The project, which is supported by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, aims to demonstrate the growing commercial viability of electric trucking at scale while accelerating the decarbonisation of the nation’s freight and logistics sector.
The introduction of these vehicles will strengthen the growing delivery electrification initiatives of Woolworths across Australia. The first deliveries commenced in May, and the full fleet rollout is scheduled to be completed progressively through 2026.
Gareth Ridge, the Australia and New Zealand Country Director at Zenobē, said that the project is evidence that electrification is a commercial opportunity.
“Woolworths is already rolling out hundreds of electric trucks at scale, that’s almost unheard of in Australia’s freight sector and proof that with the right business model and competitive pricing from Zenobē, electrification stacks up right now,” Mr Ridge said.
“Together with Woolworths and the CEFC, we’re proving that large-scale zero-emissions logistics is no longer a pilot, it’s commercially viable and operationally proven.”
Woolworths Group Director Last Mile and Partnerships Sarah Pike highlighted the local benefits the new vehicles would bring to residential areas.
“Our home delivery trucks are a familiar sight in suburbs across Australia. These EVs will help keep suburban streets quieter and cleaner, and make the weekly grocery shop greener for Aussie families,” Ms Pike said.
The initiative builds on the existing support Zenobē provides to fleet operators nationwide, including a recently announced project with Winnings and a newly launched 100 million dollar truck funding initiative. Expressions of Interest officially opened last month for the Zenobē Fleet Electrification Program, which invites medium and large heavy vehicle operators across Australia to participate.
This latest deployment with Woolworths further demonstrates the growing confidence in electric truck technology and highlights the increasing readiness of the Australian freight industry to transition at scale. As electric vehicle infrastructure, financing models and operational capabilities continue to mature, partnerships backed by organisations such as the Clean Energy Finance Corporation are helping pave the way for a cleaner and more resilient national transport network.