Sanford reveals first-of-its-kind electric chiller van

Kiwi seafood company Sanford is putting New Zealand’s first fully electric chiller van on the road.

A new, fully electric van is about to hit the streets of Auckland, transporting the freshest possible fish with the lowest possible carbon footprint.

The van is a first for New Zealand because not only is the engine electric, but the chiller is too, enabling the vehicle to transport up to 1000kgs of seafood at a time with no emissions at all.

The company behind the innovation is Sanford and the van is branded with its Sanford and Sons livery. Sanford and Sons is the hugely popular fishmonger at the Auckland Fish Market which stocks the best range of seafood in New Zealand.

Sanford CEO Volker Kuntzsch says it’s always exciting to be on the cutting edge of sustainable technology.

"Being able to deliver fresh chilled seafood daily to our customers is an absolute necessity and we’re delighted we’ve been able to find a solution which is zero emissions, which fits with our focus as a company taking a sustainable approach to everything we do."

Sanford’s General Manager of Supply Chain Louise Wood says the company is grateful to the EECA Low Emission Contestable Fund for its support.

"The EECA funding is great because it encourages innovation and investment to promote, enable and accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles. That’s made a big difference to us and has given us the encouragement to try something new. We’re very pleased to have partnered with LDV who supplied the EV80 as well as PlugnChill for the refrigeration and Auckland Auto Air who have customized the vehicle to include the fitting of the refrigeration and the insulation."

Sanford has several fishing vessels which land fresh fish into Auckland most days and this delicious product is quickly delivered to a variety of customers around the Auckland area. The van can rapid charge in just two hours and Sanford expects its range to be 150 kilometers between charges.

The temperature in the van can be monitored remotely so that Sanford can be sure it’s beautiful New Zealand seafood is always at its best. The van will charge each day at a public recharging spot in the Auckland Fish Market carpark and addition also supported by EECA.