Iceland Foods has missed its internal targets to transition to electric vehicles, according to executive chairman Richard Walker, who called on the government to make it easier for retailers to make the switch.
Walker said supermarkets and the environment risked “costly penalties” unless Labour showed “clear leadership” to remove the barriers that currently prevent businesses from ramping up the number of electric vehicles in their fleet.
His comments, which came via LinkedIn, were in response to a consultation on bringing forward a ban on the sale of new diesel and petrol cars to 2030, alongside stricter targets for manufacturers on the sale of zero emission vehicles.
Labour has already committed ban the sale of new petrol cars by 2030, the date set by Boris Johnson’s government in 2021. It was pushed back to the EU’s deadline of 2035 under Rishi Sunak, to avoid “more costs on working people”.
Walker said Iceland had responded to the consultation.
The supermarket operates over 1,700 vans as part of its home delivery fleet.
Walker admitted the process to swap to electric vehicles “isn’t happening fast enough, for us, or indeed across the UK generally”.
Iceland hasn’t set any public targets on the proportion of electric vehicles in its fleet, but has a long-term aim of reaching net zero green house gas emissions by 2040.
It has worked with Ford to introduce more efficient vans to its home delivery fleet and rolled out “nudge” technology to vehicle cabins to help its drivers drive more efficiently, according to Walker.
However, making the step to full zero emission vehicles had been a “challenge” for Iceland, Walker said.
“We run small store sites, many without space for dedicated charging points. As much as I want the business to go faster on this, additional cost and complexity only serves as a blocker,” he said.
Walker called on the government to “simplify the legislative and operational burdens currently in place for EVs. He also called for a faster rollout of charging infrastructure, as well as “support with further purchasing incentives around the vehicles”.
The Grocer has contacted Iceland for comment.
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