Freight mobility company Einride has partnered with global food and pet care service provider Mars Inc. to deploy a fleet of digitally optimized electric heavy-duty trucks across Mars’ network by 2030. The company’s European operations will eliminate an estimated 20,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year by 2030, accounting for roughly a 10% reduction in Mars Europe’s road transport greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
“This sets a precedent for other players in the freight industry to follow, showcasing the mass potential of electrification at scale,” says Robert Falck, CEO and founder of Einride. “We are honored to partner with Mars as their transformational partner as they look to meet their ambitious sustainability goals in a cost-effective way and set a new standard for creating a more resilient future.”
The first delivery took place in January 2024, with Einride’s freight capacity offering deployed with two electric trucks and charging points powered by Einride’s operating system Saga, between the Mars Petcare factory in Verden, Germany, and its distribution center in Minden, Germany. On this first route, the two electric heavy-duty trucks will save up to 193,000 road miles (312,000 km) per year on the return route from Verden to Minden. To support the transition to electric, high-power charging points have been installed at the German Petcare sites.
Following Germany’s lead, the global strategic partnership will begin expanding across Europe first with routes in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands expected to follow later in 2024. These fully electric operations will be complemented with an autonomous pilot, implemented in 2025.
“Partnering with Einride to deploy 300 electric heavy-duty trucks across Europe is a great example of how we collaborate and leverage our scale to drive action and real change today — providing long-term value and impact while setting the stage for a brighter and more sustainable tomorrow,” says Barry Parkin, chief procurement and sustainability officer at Mars.
“This partnership is our latest investment to achieve net zero by 2050, implementing the actions outlined in the Mars Net Zero Roadmap with a focus on improving and optimizing logistics, redesigning networks, transforming the type of transport we rely on and embracing the electrification of our truck fleets,” adds Parkin. “Together with our partners, we’re driving change and showcasing a commitment to sustainability at scale.”
Einride enables shippers to switch to sustainable road freight through digital, electric and autonomous technologies. Its freight capacity-as-a-service offering consists of deploying connected EVs from leading OEMs, autonomous vehicles and Einride Smartchargers, all powered by Saga. Through data-driven insights and real-time updates, Saga allows shippers to optimize routes, reduce energy consumption, maximize battery life, accurately track emission reductions and minimize transportation costs.