A new, fully electric van is about to hit the streets of Auckland in New Zealand, transporting fresh fish with the lowest possible carbon footprint.
The Sanford and Sons van is a first for New Zealand because not only is the engine electric, but the chiller is too, enabling the vehicle to transport up to 1000kgs of seafood at a time with no emissions.
Sanford chief executive, Volker Kuntzsch, says it is exciting to be on the cutting edge of sustainable technology. “Being able to deliver fresh chilled seafood daily to our customers is an absolute necessity and we’re delighted we’ve been able to find a solution which is zero emissions, which fits with our focus as a company taking a sustainable approach to everything we do.”
Made possible by funds from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority's Low Emission Contestable Fund, the EV80 van has been supplied by partner LDV with PlugnChill supplying the refrigeration and Auckland Auto Air customising the vehicle.
The temperature in the van can be monitored remotely and the van will charge rapidly in two hours at a public recharging spot in the Auckland Fish Market carpark. Sanford expects the range to be 150 kilometres between charges.
