By Rorisang Modiba
- Shoprite is trialling electrically operated trailers while Woolworths expanded its e-axle fleet from 12 to 16 trailers since January 2024.
- E-axle technology converts wheel movement into electricity for refrigeration, saving up to 4,000 litres of fuel per trailer each year.
Two major South African grocery retailers are using new technology to cut fuel costs in their delivery operations.
Shoprite is testing electrically operated trailers that use kinetic energy from wheel movement to power refrigeration. The system works like a bicycle dynamo. As the wheels turn, they generate electricity.
An electric motor is built into the trailer’s axle. Energy is produced when the wheels rotate and can be used immediately or stored.
The technology works best when trucks slow down or travel downhill. Instead of losing energy as heat through braking, it converts the power into electricity.
The system removes the need for a separate fuel-powered generator on trailers. Electric motors also last longer, which could reduce maintenance costs over time.
Woolworths has been using e-axles in some long-distance trucks since January 2024. The retailer expanded its fleet from 12 to 16 trailers and plans to add five more by June 2026.
The company said the technology has saved 102 tonnes of carbon emissions. Each trailer uses a BPW ePower axle, a battery and an inverter that generates electricity at speeds above 15km/h.
BPW estimates each trailer saves up to 4,000 litres of fuel per year and cuts emissions by about 10 tonnes annually.
Woolworths also operates more than 40 electric vans. Other companies using electric vehicles in South Africa include Takealot, Uber, Spar, DHL Express and FedEx.
Shoprite tested electric delivery vehicles in 2023 but found they were not yet viable for its Checkers Sixty60 operations. The company operates one fully electric truck in Cape Town.
Instead, Shoprite is installing solar panels on 1,397 truck trailers to power refrigeration units and tailgate lifts. The company is also testing an electric delivery vehicle that can be charged using solar power at stores and warehouses.
Pictured above: The new Woolworths truck.
Image source: Trane Technologies
