The Mexico City-based company has integrated 100 electric trucks into its domestic delivery fleet, and plans to add another 4,000 over the next four years.
The Group – which started its electric truck project in 2012 – now has around 500 electrically powered trucks operating in Mexico. It also recently purchased 41 hybrid vehicles from Toyota for around $700,000.
Mexican made
“If we want a better our world, companies have to act and bank on actions that respect the environment,” said Javier González-Franco, executive VP of Grupo Bimbo.
“Although we are carrying out many sustainable initiatives at Grupo Bimbo, our electric vehicle project is particularly relevant as the vehicles have been designed by Mexican engineers.”
The vehicles were developed and manufactured by Moldex – a subsidiary of Grupo Bimbo – at its Mexico City factory.
According to Moldex CEO Jose-María Aguilar, the “new generation of trucks have lithium batteries of great load capacity and speed”.
The batteries are capable of operating for 6-8 hours when fully charged, and recharged on clean energy generated by Bimbo’s Piedra Larga wind farm in Oaxaca.
“We have the ability to assemble up to 3,000 units per year, but we will make 1,000,” added Aguilar.
Founded in 1945, Grupo Bimbo is the world’s largest baking company, operating in more than 100 locations in 17 countries across North, Central and South America, as well as Asia. The company is the maker of well-known brands like Entenmann’s, Thomas’ English Muffins, Mrs. Baird’s, Sara Lee (which Grupo Bimbo purchased in 2011), Boboli, Brownberry, Freihofer’s and Nature’s Harvest, among others.