Last month, Lidl Czech Republic announced via its social media pages that it would be testing an electric Mercedes-Benz truck until the end of January. The retailer has also been using a Volvo electric HGV since October.
Díky spolupráci s @VolvoTrucks a s dopravní společností Exuma s.r.o., testujeme elektrické nákladní vozidlo těžké řady Volvo FM Electric, za který jsme zapřáhli jeden z našich chladírenských návěsů. Poprvé máme elektrický tahač, který na jeden zátah dokáže odvézt až 33 palet. pic.twitter.com/eQG53cxpcR
— Lidl ČR (@lidlcz) January 24, 2023
Writing on Facebook, the company said:
“Sustainable, progressive, innovative and quiet: this is a fully electric truck from Mercedes-Benz, which we will test until the end of January 2023 as part of the supply of our Lidl stores around Prague. As far as zero CO2 emissions is concerned, the electric truck is perfect for distribution transport in urban environments.”
While many would expect such an announcement to be welcomed, a noticeable number of followers of Lidl Czech Republic’s Facebook Page responded to the news with scepticism.
Udržitelný, inovativní a tichý: to je plně elektrický nákladní vůz od Mercedes-Benz, který budeme do konce ledna 2023 testovat v rámci zásobování našich prodejen Lidl v okolí Prahy. Díky nulovým emisím CO2 je elektrokamion jako stvořený pro distribuční dopravu ve městech. pic.twitter.com/hAcEnN3LIk
— Lidl ČR (@lidlcz) January 10, 2023
Critical comments from users touched on the high cost of electricity in the Czech Republic, emissions generated from batteries charged with electricity from coal power plants, difficulties recycling truck batteries, and the weight of electric truck batteries among other things. One user even went as far as to claim the supermarket chain’s supply chain would collapse if its fleet went all-electric.
The criticism was picked up on by local news website PrahaIn.cz, who reached out to Lidl to get its response to these negative social media reactions.
Tomáš Myler, spokesperson for Lidl Czech Republic, responded to the news website’s request. In his statement, Myler was keen to emphasise Lidl’s green credentials and stress that the electric lorry in the trial was being charged with green energy.
“We would like to provide more detailed information regarding this electric truck. Greenhouse gas emissions in transport are calculated from emissions that are generated during the entire life cycle of the vehicle. The index in the case of the use of green electrical energy, which we recharge the electric truck based at our logistics centre in Buštěhrad, is lower by 96% compared to the use of diesel propulsion. Local CO2 emissions are zero in the case of this vehicle. Our company believes in the Paris Agreement and sees sustainability not only as a fashion issue, but as a very essential part of our business, while electromobility is one of the tools to achieve sustainability,” Myler told PrahaIN.cz.