Takealot and Woolworths have secret electric weapons

While electric vehicle (EV) adoption among major businesses in South Africa is lagging behind that of many other countries, several major retailers have embraced the technology in their fleets in recent years. These vehicles not only help the companies reduce their carbon footprint but also reduce operating costs as EVs are cheaper to run and maintain than petrol or diesel models. Online retailer Takealot was among the first big local businesses to test EVs in its delivery fleet.

In partnership with Aeversa, Avis, and JAC Motors, it began testing with a single 3-tonne JAC N55 EV truck in late 2021. A year later, it had deployed 11 4-tonne JAC N75 EV trucks in its fleet — seven in Johannesburg and four in Cape Town. The large trucks can cover 140km to 150km round trips with Aeversa's dynamic load management and driver training programmes, resulting in a 39% reduction in overall energy consumption per kilometre.



The fleet achieved a total-cost-of-ownership reduction of 12.75% compared to the diesel-powered trucks in the first five months of 2024. Woolworths also partnered with DSV and Everlectric in 2022 to.

.. Hanno Labuschagne.