CERES Fair Food is electrifying their fleet

CERES Fair Food's electrification journey, including the all-electric transition that has started for their delivery vans.

CERES Fair Food is a great local business who source and deliver fresh organic food 6 days a week, while making huge positive social and environmental impacts. They are an all-electric business with an 80kW solar power system on their roof.

Their only fossil fuel usage is their delivery vehicles, which deliver all over Melbourne 6 days a week. They have been trying for nearly five years to change their fleet to electric to take advantage of the excess production of their solar power system. While electric passenger vehicles are becoming more available in the Australian market, commercial electric vehicles are still harder to source. There are local companies modifying trucks for electric drive-trains, but there’s a real gap in the market for mid-sized vans that are capable of fitting down the narrow streets and laneways of inner-city areas.

When the Good Car Co came through with a Peugeot Expert electric van from the UK, Chris Ennis, director of CERES Fair Food, jumped on board and purchased one. The van is a new driver favourite and Chris is keen to purchase more. “The Good Car Co has another Peugeot on the way for us and we are hoping that new vans will be available next year, so we can transition all our seven vehicles to solar-powered EVs,” says Chris.

For Chris electric vehicles not only align with CERES goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2025, but they also make economic sense. “Even paying twice as much for an electric van as a comparable diesel van is worthwhile financially. We have an estimated 5 year payback on fuel and maintenance costs."

As prices for electric vehicles continue to fall and local availability improves transitioning fleets to all-electric is becoming a more and more attractive option for many businesses.

If you are a local Darebin business or organisation that wants to jump on board the all-electric transition we can help you through our Energy$mart program. Energy$mart can help you upgrade to an efficient split system for heating and cooling and heat pumps for hot water. Our program connects you to reputable installers and products, offers support and a rebate of up to $1,000 on top of other government subsidies. Find out more and register your interest online by completing our short sustainable business registration form below:

Sustainable business registration