Giant Food, a greater Washington, D.C., regional grocery chain, has deployed new, fully electric Giant Delivers vehicles. The two electric step vans join Giant’s fleet of 128 vehicles based in Hanover, Md., making daily deliveries to customers throughout Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia and Delaware.
The two vehicles were purchased from Motiv Power Systems, a medium-duty, all-electric truck and bus engineering and manufacturing company. The vehicles will produce zero emissions and quieter operations while still providing the same grocery storage capacity.
The deployment was made possible through a grant awarded to Giant by the Clean Fuels Incentive Program (CFIP), created and managed by the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA). The program is designed to create a cleaner and greener transportation sector within Maryland and improve the state’s economy and environment in the process.
Over the next several years, Giant plans to transition more of its Giant Delivers fleet to all-electric, and the deployment of these first two vehicles marks the next stage in Giant’s commitment to making a positive environmental impact. The new vehicles can cover 105 miles on one charge out of Giant’s Hanover, Md., warehouse and will allow Giant Delivers drivers to omit fuel stops during the course of daily deliveries.
“Cleaner transportation is part of Giant’s larger sustainability efforts and commitment to supporting the local environment,” says Joe Urban, vice president of distribution operations at Giant Food. “We are excited to bring these vehicles into our Giant Delivers fleet and kick off the transition to all-electric delivery.”
“We are thrilled to represent another EV milestone through our Clean Fuels Incentive Program for Maryland,” states Dr. Mary Beth Tung, MEA’s director. “As we continue to cement our standing as a transportation electrification leader, we know that supporting the deployment of fleet electric vehicles reduces our reliance on foreign petroleum and emissions, while also lowering operating costs for businesses.”