Loblaw has taken delivery of the first production series all-electric Freightliner eCascadia to be put into service in Canada, deploying it out of its Boucherville, Que., distribution center.

It will service Loblaw-owned stores in the Greater Montreal Area, including those under the Provigo, Provigo Le Marche, and Maxi banners.

The 6×4 zero-emissions truck has a range of 400 kilometers between charges, according to Freightliner. There are four more eCascadia’s on order for Loblaw, which aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. It has also said it will fully electrify its day cab fleet by the end of 2030.

Wayne Scott, senior director – transport maintenance with Loblaw, said the company installed a Detroit-branded charging unit at its Boucherville DC for charging. The vehicles will be serviced at and maintained by local Freightliner dealerships.

In terms of range, Scott said “We are hoping to get close to 2 kW per mile, so we should hopefully get around 250 miles (400 km). It will be a good test on how the colder temperatures are going to affect the range compared to the Freightliner battery-electric vehicle experience we did in B.C. a couple years back.”