Volvo EV Trucks For Singapore-Bound Milo Deliveries; Relies on Shell Recharge Network

Nestlé has teamed up with Volvo Trucks Malaysia to pioneer the use of electric vehicle (EV) trucks to transport raw ingredients used to make its Milo malt chocolate drink product for cross-border supply between Malaysia and Singapore. With this innovative solution, Volvo Trucks Malaysia and Nestlé Malaysia continue to lead the way toward a greener future by adopting more sustainable logistics.

The Volvo EV truck will transport Milo ingredients between Nestlé’s Chembong Factory in Malaysia and the company’s Jurong facility in Singapore. Covering 280 km per trip and averaging 1,750 trips annually, this groundbreaking initiative has the potential to reduce carbon emissions by some 1,000 tonnes annually.

Within the following six months, the company plans to add four more electric vehicles to its fleet in an effort to convert the entire route into a green lane. Launched in July 2023 in Malaysia, the Volvo EV truck boasts up to three electric drive units with a maximum power output of 666 HP (490 kW) and an incredible torque of 2,400 NM. A 540 kW battery is used to power several axle combinations, including 4x2, 6x2, and 6x4 systems, with a stated range of 300 km.

“Nestlé Malaysia's green logistics initiative to adopt EV trucks for cross-border transportation aligns with our national objective of reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable transportation solutions:, said Malaysian Transport Minister YB Tuan Loke Siew Fook, who officiated the launch of this collaborative effort.

Loke also urged more businesses to use ethical and cutting-edge technologies that reduce environmental effect and enhance operational effectiveness, following Nestlé's example.

"Initiatives such as this bring us one step closer to realising a more sustainable low-carbon future for Malaysia and attaining our target of net-zero emissions by 2050," he stated.

At CariCarz.com, we wanted to understand further on the route planning involved for the round trip, given the truck's modest 300 km range. This led us to understand that the Nestlé Milo Volvo truck will rely exclusively on the Shell Recharge charging network to make the round trip possible.

According to Ms. Joanna Lean, Shell Fleet Solutions Malaysia General Manager, they have tested out charging at Shell Recharge facilities at Tangkak (180 kW), Skudai (120 kW), and Pagoh (180 kW). She further added that since this is a new initiative, it did come with its challenges, like having to uncouple the load to dock in for a charge. However, the 7-metre long charging cables at these facilities were indeed helpful.

Additionally, they also found that the best travel route southbound is from the factory at Chembong, with a charging stop at Skudai followed by delivery to Jurong. Meanwhile, the route back would be from Jurong with two charging stops at Skudai and Pagoh before returning to the factory.

Ms. Joanna further highlighted that Shell Malaysia and Nestlé Malaysia would be studying the route throughout Q4 this year to further fine-tune the entire charging process and possibly look into rolling out more Shell Recharge locations at other stations to accommodate larger vehicles easily. Both parties also see this initiative as entirely necessary as Singapore pushes forward its Singapore Green Plan 2030.