The first 14 electric trucks will operate from its Montague Gardens distribution centre in Cape Town, says Clicks. (Photograph by Jaco Cilliers Photography)
Clicks Group’s Montague Gardens distribution centre in Cape Town will operate a 100% electric truck fleet by the end of October, it announced yesterday.
This, after it secured 30 new-generation Sany heavy-duty electric trucks for commercial use in South Africa.
In a statement, Clicks says the first 14 electric trucks will operate from the Montague Gardens distribution centre, with the last two diesel trucks to be replaced by the end of October.
A further 14 electric trucks will be deployed at the Centurion distribution centre by 1 October, with rollout extended to KwaZulu-Natal by September 2027.
Group CEO Bertina Engelbrecht says the pharmacy retail giant is focused on accelerating electrification of its national distribution network, as part of broader investment in its distribution network.
Says Engelbrecht: “As we expand our store and pharmacy network, we continue to strengthen our distribution capabilities to support that growth.
“We started moving towards renewables several years ago because, as an executive team, we see ourselves as stewards for future generations. We believe we have a responsibility to make choices today that reduce our impact on the environment, and we have carried that thinking through into our investments in solar, battery storage and now electric transport.
“There is also a strong business case for doing this. Electric trucks reduce our reliance on diesel and our emissions, while lowering the cost of operating our distribution network. We are investing in the growth of the business and doing it in a way that also reduces our environmental impact and takes us closer to our ambition of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.”
According to Clicks, it has invested more than R65 million in solar photovoltaic generation, battery energy storage and charging infrastructure to support the electrification transition.
The transition is also projected to deliver annual fuel savings of between R20 million and R25 million, together with a further R2 million to R3 million reduction in maintenance costs.
The Cape Town electric fleet will deliver to approximately 290 stores, while the Centurion fleet will serve around 566 stores.
“A smarter, greener and more resilient supply chain is not a future aspiration for Clicks Logistics – it is already a reality,” comments Clicks logistics executive Pieter Strydom.
“It is about using technology, data and continuous improvement to drive operational excellence and build a more efficient and resilient supply chain that is fit for the future.”
Clicks expects to have 68 electric trucks on the road by the end of 2027, representing approximately 62% of its current fleet.
Overall, the group is targeting more than 90% of its truck fleet to be electric by September 2028.
