Every little helps: Maxus UK receives largest ever EV order from Tesco
Tesco has put in an order for 750 Maxus eDeliver 9 chassis cab trucks, the biggest order yet in the UK for the Chinese automaker.
The Maxus eDeliver 9 chassis cabs will be retrofitted with bodywork built and designed by refrigerated vehicle specialist Solomon Commercials. The trucks’ refrigeration systems are manufactured by Thermo King and GAH.
Deliveries for the 750-strong fleet will be made by Harris – the sole importer for Maxus in the UK and Ireland – starting in February 2026. Upon arrival, the trucks will join Tesco’s 232-existing Maxus eDeliever 9 models, which entered service this year.
Weighing in at 4.2 tonnes , the Maxus eDeliver 9 will be used for Tesco home deliveries, and has a 1.9-tonne payload. Underneath, it’s powered by a 201bhp electric motor, and a 100kWh lithium-ion battery pack. As well as a 219-mile range, it has a maximum charging speed of 120kW, meaning an 80% charge is achievable in 45 minutes.
Rob Smallwood, the operations manager at Tesco Fleet Services commented: “Our electric home delivery fleet is an important part of our journey to carbon neutrality across our operations. Placing this order with Harris Maxus UK will help us on our journey to operating a fully electric home delivery fleet by 2030.
“Our partnership with Harris Maxus UK, which began with an innovative electric concept vehicle in 2019, has grown in strength and proven the capability and reliability of the eDeliver 9 to help decarbonise our delivery operations.”
Tesco isn’t the sole major retailer to make a significant investment into switching from diesel and petrol to electric. In January this year, Amazon added 140 all-electric Mercedes eActros 600s to its current fleet.
Moreover, the UK government has extended its plug-in truck and van grant, meaning operators can get up to £25,000 off the purchase of a new vehicle until 2027.
