Anheuser-Busch, Nikola, BYD Complete First Zero-Emission Beer Run
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Anheuser-Busch announced it completed on Nov. 21 its first zero-emission beer delivery in the company’s hometown of St. Louis using only zero-emission trucks from Nikola Motor Co. and BYD Motors.
A Nikola hydrogen-electric truck picked up the load of beer and delivered it to Anheuser-Busch local wholesaler partner Lohr Distributors — marking the first commercial delivery onboard a heavy-duty Nikola hydrogen-electric vehicle. Lohr Distributors then delivered the beer to the Enterprise Center, home of the St. Louis Blues hockey team, on a BYD heavy-duty electric truck.
To further highlight the power of partnership, during the week of Nov. 18 Anheuser-Busch was hosting more than 100 strategic suppliers and partners in St. Louis for its inaugural Eclipse Summit to discuss best practices and align on collective action in sustainability. Both Nikola and BYD will be participating in the summit.
“No single company can build a more sustainable future alone but this zero-emission delivery has shown what is possible when we bring together the various strengths and assets within our supplier network to work towards a shared objective of a better world,” Ingrid De Ryck, vice president of procurement and sustainability at Anheuser-Busch, said in a release.
Nikola CEO Trevor Milton (left) joins Michel Doukeris of Anheuser-Busch and John Gerra of BYD in front of a Nikola hydrogen-electric truck and a Budweiser plant. (Anheuser-Busch)
Anheuser-Busch in October reported it will deploy 21 Class 8 battery-electric trucks at four of its distribution facilities in California as part of a state project to showcase economically and environmentally sustainable warehousing and distribution technology. The 21 BYD electric trucks as well as a 958.5 kW solar array to charge the vehicles will be implemented this year as what it calls the largest Class 8 electric truck deployment in North America.
“Our dedication to innovation pairs nicely with Anheuser-Busch’s sustainability commitment,” said Stella Li, president of BYD Motors.
A Nikola hydrogen-electric truck heads from factory to distributor. (Anheuser-Busch)
Anheuser-Busch in May 2018 placed an order for up to 800 of Nikola’s hydrogen-fuel heavy-duty trucks, as a means of helping the brewer transition its entire longhaul dedicated fleet to zero-emission vehicles.
“This milestone will become an example for all other truck makers to move away from diesel trucks and towards zero emission vehicles,” said Nikola CEO Trevor Milton. “We are now preparing production vehicles for Anheuser-Busch and plan on delivering the trucks as fast as possible.”
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