Making the move to electric vehicles

Lowering the environmental impact of fresh produce delivery from New Covent Garden Market.


A special event was held at 7:00 AM on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at the Food Exchange offices of the Covent Garden Market Authority in the Nine Elms Fresh Produce Market, London. Organised in partnership with Cold Chain Federation member Petit Forestier, a leading European company specialising in temperature-controlled commercial vehicle rental and contract hire, the event aimed to present the findings of an environmental research study conducted by supply chain experts.


The study marked the initial step in a broader vision to position New Covent Garden Market as a central Foodhub for London. It explored the feasibility of enhancing delivery efficiency and reducing costs in the final stage of food distribution to customers in Central London, as well as considering the need for operators to plan for the seismic change from ICE to alternative emissions free delivery vehicles.


Over 60 guests from the Market, Central Government, London Boroughs, trade associations such as the Cold Chain Federation, NGOs including Cross River Partnership, academics and consultants joined with food supply chain specialists from the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Retail Forum.


Wanda Goldwag OBE, Chair of the Covent Garden Market Authority, warmly welcomed everyone and expressed her view that the event served as a solid foundation for exploring broader food solutions for London, and provide “food for thought” during this period of seismic change.


Barrie Javens, Managing Director of Petit Forestier UK, followed with an overview of technical, operational, and financial considerations, as well as insights into vehicle availability, before the launch of the summary report on the research, authored by David Kaner and delivered by Richard Stone, lead consultant. David and Richard are continuing to work on the document and an extended version will be made available once the EV trials are complete and the outcomes fully collated and discussed with the project stakeholders.


The work had been built on two linked objectives:

Are there more efficient ways of making deliveries in this urban landscape whilst maintaining high standards of customer service?

Making sure that the business needs of the food suppliers, such as those from the Market which make vital food deliveries into the West End of London, are recognised by London Councils when making changes to the road network and the Public Realm.


The research examined the delivery process in three ways –
Reduce, Remode and Retime.
It found that the daily volumes from the Market to customers in the West End cannot be reduced through consolidation, and retiming would require significant change and disruption to customer businesses. The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) was identified as having the most significant positive impact. Trial vehicles supplied by Petit Forestier were introduced as the next step to assist market traders in preparing for this shift.
The event also provided attendees with the opportunity to explore the latest advancements in temperature-controlled electric vehicle (EV) technology. Guests could engage with Petit Forestier’s specialist team to discuss topics such as vehicle availability, capital costs, charging infrastructure, and operational and maintenance requirements—key considerations for transitioning from ICE to EV fleets.


Additionally, the event showcased a Schmitz Cargobull 13-meter refrigerated trailer equipped with Sunswap photovoltaic technology. Hubl Logistics Limited also displayed their innovative Coolrun roll cage and pallet containers, which utilize passive cooling to reduce costs and energy consumption in the chilled and frozen supply chain for vehicles and refrigeration.