RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Sysco Corporation, the world’s largest food distributor, unveiled its vision for the Riverside Electric Vehicle Hub, which will transform the company’s distribution center into the focal point of its electrified fleet.
One of the first electric vehicle hubs of its kind in the world, the Riverside project is a foundational step toward Sysco’s goal to reduce its direct emissions by 27.5% and add 2,800 electric trucks to its U.S. fleet by 2030.
“This year’s theme for Earth Day is ‘invest in our planet’ and Sysco is doing just that. Our commitment is coming to life in Riverside as we break new ground on one of the first facilities of its kind in the world,” said Neil Russell, Sysco’s chief administrative officer. “Change of this magnitude requires deep collaboration and I want to thank our government and community partners who are helping bring our vision to life.”
Currently, Sysco operates eleven Freightliner battery electric eCascadia tractors at its Riverside facility and expects to deploy 20 total by summer 2023. Once completed, the facility’s currently planned EV infrastructure will include:
- 40 dual port DC fast-charging stations in support of
- 40 Electric, Class-8 vehicles, and
- 40 electric refrigerated trailers.
To accommodate the energy demands of this growing fleet, the Riverside site will also feature 4 MWh of battery storage and will increase its solar power generation by an additional 1.5 MW.
“We are excited to showcase Sysco’s work to build our first Electric Vehicle Hub at our Riverside, CA site,” said Marie Robinson, Sysco’s chief supply chain officer. “This is a massive collaborative effort that has required years of planning. We’re grateful to our many partners on this journey for their vision, innovation and leadership in bringing the transportation and infrastructure technology to market to support this project.”
Sysco announced in May 2021 its intent to deploy nearly 800 battery electric Freightliner eCascadia Class 8 tractors by 2026.
“Houston Freightliner is proud to be a critical supplier to Sysco of next generation fully electric commercial vehicles and a partner in the foodservice industry leader’s complete strategy for full integration of electric vehicles into their fleet,” said Rick Stewart, president & dealer principal of Houston Freightliner.
ConMet and ConMet eMobility are enabling the development of zero-emission commercial vehicles, providing innovative technology for the electrification of refrigerated trailers required for Sysco to deliver food safely and efficiently.
“The commitment shown by Sysco with this facility is a prelude to a more sustainable future for foodservice delivery. We’re honored to have the ConMet eHub™ in-wheel motor system on Sysco trailers. By generating electrical energy to power electric TRUs, trailer temperatures are sustained for food safety purposes, whilst providing large diesel savings to the fleet and significant emission reductions for the local community,” said Marc Trahand, VP and general manager of ConMet’s eMobility division.
InCharge Energy and ABB E-mobility are supplying and preparing to activate 40 Terra 124 DC fast chargers. Already tested for vehicle interoperability and reliability, these stations will facilitate quick and timely charging of all vehicles daily.
“As the leading fleet electrification provider, InCharge Energy and ABB E-mobility are thrilled to play such an important role in Sysco’s transition to electric transportation,” said Terry O’Day, COO and co-founder of InCharge Energy. “Sysco’s transportation electrification program will have a sizable impact on carbon emissions. This project sets the stage for the increasing shift to electric mobility in California, especially given the EPA’s recent decision to allow California to accelerate its transition from diesel to electric trucks. We look forward to seeing what cleaner transportation will do for the beautiful Riverside community and beyond.”
The Riverside EV hub project is also supported through partnership with:
- Black & Veatch - Engineer of record and system integrator providing comprehensive design, engineering, permitting, procurement, and construction management.
- Carrier Transicold North America - Supporting Sysco’s EV program with its innovative Vector eCool™ refrigerated trailer system which sustainably creates its own power using leading-edge energy recovery and storage from ConMet to run the uniquely all-electric trailer refrigeration unit.
- GNA – The leading clean transportation consulting firm in North America, GNA spearheaded efforts to secure vehicle and infrastructure incentives for electric vehicles, infrastructure and chargers, the photovoltaic (PV) solar system, and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).
- Stem – Providing AI-driven clean energy management platform, Athena®, one of the key technologies integrating the charging infrastructure, to optimize on-site energy assets including solar and energy storage and enabling resilience and efficiency.
- Vanguard – Supporting Sysco’s EV program with its proven thermal efficient multi-temp refrigerated trailer.W&B Service Company – Providing Carrier
- Transicold Refrigeration equipment and support for Sysco’s EV initiatives.Bp pulse - Providing industry-leading charge management software, omega, to
- optimize charging for low cost energy while ensuring critical fleet uptime.
Community partners include California Air Resources Board, California Energy Commission, Southern California Association of Governments, and Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee.
Sysco’s industry-leading climate goals includes a commitment to reduce its scope 1 and 2 emissions by electrifying 35% of its U.S. tractor fleet and sourcing 100% renewable electricity for its global operations by 2030. More information can be found in Sysco’s 2022 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report.
