Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits has signed a purchase order with Xos, Inc., a manufacturer of fully electric Class 5 to Class 8 commercial vehicles, for 10 Xos Class 7 refrigerated beverage trucks.
This initial test of electric trucks will be used to inform future deployments of Xos electric vehicles into the company’s national fleet.
“We’re proud and excited to be the first North American wine and spirits distributor in the U.S. to incorporate electric vehicles into our fleet on this scale,” says Ron Flanary, Senior Vice President of Operations, Southern Glazer’s. “We recognize the environmental and efficiency benefits that electric vehicles can deliver for our business. We look forward to deploying the initial 10 Xos trucks into our fleet in 2022 and continuing to identify creative opportunities to reduce our environmental impact.”
The 10, first-of-their-kind vehicles will deploy from Southern Glazer’s Dallas/Ft. Worth distribution center, used as part of the company’s delivery fleet supporting the North Texas market in the second half of 2022.
Plans to invest in electric vehicle charging stations at the facility are also underway.
“The beverage industry represents a growing sector for Xos and we’re thrilled to work with a well-regarded leader in the industry,” says Jose Castaneda, Vice President of Business Development, Xos, Inc.
This is the first major incorporation of electric vehicles into the Southern Glazer’s fleet, following the success of a recent pilot program testing the use of two electric transit vehicles in the company’s Arizona fleet. Southern Glazer’s received a Sustainable Options/Corporate Sustainability award for that program. The award was presented by Valley Metro, the public transportation agency that provides transit services throughout the region.
