Tesco has reached a milestone in its journey toward decarbonising its operations, rolling out its 1,000th electric home delivery van this week – now operating out of the retailer’s Cardiff Extra store.
The vehicle joins a 20-van EV fleet at the site, which collectively completes nearly 5,000 customer deliveries each week. With the addition, the Cardiff Extra store becomes the third location in Wales to operate a fully electric delivery fleet.
The move marks another step towards Tesco’s wider commitment to have a 100% EV fleet for home deliveries by 2030. The retailer is on track to grow its EV fleet from 720 vans in March 2025 to 1,250 by spring 2026.
Tesco introduced its first electric van in 2020 in Greater London. According to the company, a full switch to electric would equate to removing 22,000 internal combustion engine cars from UK roads annually – a move, it argued, that could significantly improve air quality in urban areas and reduce carbon emissions across the delivery network.
Tesco UK CEO Ashwin Prasad said: “The delivery of our 1,000th EV home delivery van to our Cardiff Extra store is an important step in our journey towards a fully electric home delivery fleet across the UK by 2030.
“Making this change will reduce our carbon emissions as a business, improve the air quality for the communities we serve in Cardiff, and help us reach our commitment to be carbon neutral in our own operations by 2035.”
Alongside investment in vehicles, Tesco is also scaling up its charging infrastructure. By spring 2026, more than 100 stores are expected to be fitted with EV charging capabilities, and 89 shops will be running fully electric home delivery fleets.
The retailer’s low-carbon logistics push extends beyond vans. In September 2025, Tesco rolled out 42 biomethane-powered trucks at its Livingston distribution centre. Its HGV fleet also includes four electric large goods vehicles, while five of Tesco’s refrigerated trailers are now powered by solar panels rather than diesel.
Read more about Tesco’s sustainability strategy on Green Retail World
[image credit: Tesco]
