Michigan based pizza chain, Domino’s has announced it plans to roll out America’s largest fleet of electric pizza delivery vehicles. The company will send 800 Chevy Volt EVs to select franchise and corporate stores around the United States.
The fleet will be located in each state. The company is working with Enterprise Fleet Management, which will work on account management, vehicle acquisition and financing, telematics and maintenance.
It will also give the company an advantage in the ongoing war for drivers: the ability to attract those who don’t have a car of their own.
“Domino’s has been on the cutting edge of pizza delivery and electric delivery cars make sense as vehicle technology continues to evolve,” CEO Russell Weiner said in a statement. He noted that Domino’s has committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and this can help accomplish that goal.
The EV fleet makes practical sense, too. Electric cars do not need regular oil changes, for instance, and they do not need to be filled with gas. The EVs have lower average maintenance costs than nonelectric cars. Domino’s said that the Chevy Bolts have enough battery life for “days of deliveries,” with a 259-mile (414 kilometre) range.
Domino’s already delivers with electric bikes or scooters in 24 international markets, including the U.S.
For the pizza chain, the vehicles could theoretically help ease its driver shortage by making the company more attractive to drivers, whether they own a car or not.
The company has struggled with a driver shortage for the past year, one that has limited hours of operation of many locations and hurt sales.
There are already 100 of the electric vehicles in operation and Domino’s is planning to send out another 700.
