apetito’s journey to a sustainable future motors ahead

In what is believed to be an ‘industry-first’ for mobilisation of refrigerated electric vehicles (EVs) and as part of its ongoing commitment to reduce environmental impact and reach its ambitious Net Zero targets, apetito has announced a significant investment into massively reducing the carbon emissions of its distribution fleet.

The company has committed to electrifying its fleet with over 200 brand-new refrigerated EVs set to be rolled out this year across its consumer business, Wiltshire Farm Foods, and transform customer deliveries nationwide.

Commenting on apetito’s step-change approach to its distribution, Lee Sheppard, director of corporate affairs, policy and sustainability, says: “We are extremely proud to be making this significant investment in our journey towards Net Zero and substantially reducing our Scope 1 emissions through moving to an EV distribution fleet in Wiltshire Farm Foods.

“Despite the challenges involved with moving refrigerated vehicles to electric, we were determined to lead the way with this initiative and drive a positive impact on our carbon emissions, without in any way compromising the delivery experience for our Wiltshire Farm Foods customers.

“We believe that doing the right thing for the environment is our responsibility as a business and are proud to be investing in creating a greener future.”

The £14.3m investment is a key milestone in apetito’s wider mission to convert 75% of its entire Wiltshire Farm Foods delivery fleet to EVs before the end of 2025, a change set to save an impressive 1,358 tonnes of CO2e per year.

Whilst supporting carbon reduction targets, this transition of refrigerated vehicles to electric also marks a groundbreaking innovation due to the significant complexities involved in meeting the power draw required for refrigeration - something that had been cited as ‘impossible’ to achieve by many vehicle experts during the process. A high proportion of these EVs also have the unique addition of solar panels, supporting with generating their own green electricity whilst the vehicle is in motion.

This innovation sets a new standard in sustainable transportation and takes vital steps towards greener logistics, whilst having no impact on the overall operational effectiveness of delivery rounds.

Investing in sustainable initiatives, such as this one, were key drivers in apetito recently being awarded its fourth Royal Honour with The King’s Awards for Enterprise in Sustainable Development 2024, one of just 29 UK businesses being recognised for their work in this space this year.

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