Lidl Austria Expands Electric Supply Fleet

A new charging park at Lidl’s logistics centre in Laakirchen, Austria, opened on 24 November.

The retailer added that the newly established charging network will support the additional electric vehicles in its supply chain.

Lidl aims to achieve emission-free deliveries across its entire store network in the country by 2030, as part of the group’s net-zero ambitions, ESM Magazine reports.

Mercedes eActros 600

Lidl Austria has partnered with Mercedes to introduce its eActros 600 trucks into the new emission-free supply system.

The eActros 600 weighs 44 tonnes and can carry up to 22 tonnes.

The truck can cover a range of up to 500 kilometres, as it is equipped with three battery packs with a combined capacity of 621 kWh.

In addition, the eActros 600 has two electric motors that deliver an output of 400 kWh.

Lidl Austria’s new supply vehicles can be charged from 20% to 80% in approximately 30 minutes with the eActros 600’s Megawatt Charging System (MCS).

Jens Tittel, CEO of Daimler Truck Austria, said, “We are very proud of the successful market launch of the eActros 600 in Austria, and we are delighted to be supporting Lidl on its journey towards sustainable transport.

“This demonstrates that electrification is becoming a reality in national long-haul and Daimler transport.”

Long-Term Electrification

In 2024, Lidl Austria began integrating electric vehicles into its daily logistics operations.

The retailer claims to power these exclusively with renewable energy, including through photovoltaic panels at its logistics centres.

Lidl expects to reduce its CO2 emissions by approximately 90% annually once all supply vehicles have been replaced with electric trucks.

Michael Kunz, CEO of Lidl Austria, said, “We are now operating Austria’s most powerful dedicated truck-charging network, thus creating the foundation for long-haul transport.

“This will allow the electric trucks to deliver to our stores from Lake Constance to Lake Neusiedl quietly and emission-free.

“This is a significant contribution to climate protection and also to reducing noise pollution.”

In addition, the retailer plans to further expand the use of electric vehicles for store deliveries at its logistics centre in Großebersdorf, Austria, by 2027.