Boots pilots electric vehicles for the delivery of prescriptions to customers’ homes
Boots is piloting a scheme in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire whereby customers have their prescriptions delivered by electric vehicles.
The company is adding five electric Renault Kangoo iVans to the fleet used to pick up prescriptions and deliver them to patients’ homes.
Boots said the pilot should result in the reduction of its environmental footprint by approximately 22 carbon tonnes per year. If successful, the scheme will be expanded to other areas of the UK.
The electric vans will run from Boots’ site in Beeston. Each zero emission vehicle is fitted with Lightfoot Technology, a real-time engine analysis system that provides live, in-cab coaching to help drivers improve both fuel efficiency and safety.
Nottingham City Transport’s ‘Ultra Low Emission Vehicle’ Scheme’ has helped the pilot get off the ground by assisting with the installation of charging stations on the Boots site to power the new vehicles.
Eddie Storr, head of supply chain pharmacy at Boots UK, said: “Running over 9,500 routes a week with a van fleet of 900, we are continually looking at ways to improve both the efficiency of our service and its environmental impact. Over the last six months, we have achieved significant mileage reductions through better route planning and the nextstep on our journey is to reduce our carbon footprint by introducing zero emission delivery vehicles.”
