IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
A food wholesaler is adding 53 all-electric refrigerated trailer units to the fleet at its Riverside distribution center.
United Natural Foods Inc. is removing the diesel-operated trucks from operation and retrofitting them to all-electric technology, leaving the vehicles with zero emissions, according to a statement released Wednesday.
Each truck’s refrigeration system will be powered by roof-mounted solar panels, generator, lithium-ion batteries, and an auxiliary power unit to eliminate the need for diesel fuel to power the refrigeration system.
Based in Providence, R.I., United Natural Foods delivers throughout North America. It’s one of the first companies to use the solar retrofitting technology, and it’s making the change shortly after the California Air Resources Board announced it is imposing zero-emission requirements, effective at the end of 2029, on transport refrigerated units sold or operated in California.
“Nearly 50 percent of United Natural Foods direct greenhouse gas emissions are from our fleet of trucks and trailers,” said Jeff Wismans, the company’s national director of fleet operations, in the statement. “These 53 all-electric [trucks] will help us get a head start on the proposed CARB zero-emission requirements.”
The trucks were upgraded after the technology was tested during a four-month pilot program, Wismans said.
