Electric, biofuel, or hydrogen: retail shifts to alternative powertrains

Too warm, too drafty, too dry, too cool - how we perceive the indoor climate often determines how long we stay in a room. In the case of a business with customers, the longer the better, of course.

An often overlooked but strategically important factor is air conditioning. Modern heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are more than just thermostats: they are intelligent, data-driven systems that can deliver a competitive advantage.

Retail doesn't have just one kind of transport job. Regional store deliveries, heavy-duty transport, and long-haul routes each place different demands on vehicles, range, charging or refueling times, and infrastructure. What works well in city traffic isn't automatically the right fit for long-distance hauling.

That's exactly why retailers are taking a technology-open approach. Battery-electric trucks, renewable fuels, and hydrogen are being deployed or tested wherever they seem most viable under the given conditions. The overhaul of logistics is following the real demands of the transport network more than any single ideal.

Battery-electric trucks are best suited to short and medium routes that can be planned reliably. They enable locally emission-free transport and also cut noise and pollutant emissions. In regional delivery operations, they're a natural fit.

SPAR Austria is specifically deploying electric trucks for regional store deliveries. The goal is to make delivery logistics lower-emission during ongoing operations without compromising supply reliability. Lidl is complementing this path by expanding electric charging infrastructure, laying the groundwork for the broader use of electric commercial vehicles down the line. But the limits are clear: without suitable charging points and sufficient range, use in heavy-duty transport remains constrained.

Renewable fuels such as bio-LNG, bio-CNG, biomethane, or HVO100 are especially attractive where companies want to keep using their existing fleets. They can often be used without a complete vehicle changeover, enabling emissions reductions in the short term.

EDEKA Minden-Hannover  has brought a REEFUEL bio-LNG filling station online in Mittenwalde, aiming to make delivery traffic at the site more climate-friendly. The fuel is produced from green hydrogen and biomethane sourced from certified biological waste. For EDEKA, this matters mainly because it allows emissions to be cut without overhauling logistics altogether.

Colruyt Group is taking a similar approach, supplementing its electric and hydrogen solutions with HVO100 at times. The renewable diesel substitute can be used in existing vehicles, making it quickly available.

Marks & Spencer is also expanding its fleet with biomethane-powered trucks. This shows that renewable fuels make particular sense for companies that want to cut emissions now but can't yet switch over to new vehicles across the board.

Hydrogen is primarily seen as a possible solution for long-haul and heavy-duty transport. The technology offers long range and short refueling times, which is especially appealing for heavy loads. For certain use cases, it could serve as an alternative to battery-electric vehicles.

Migros Ostschweiz is testing hydrogen semi-trucks to gain experience in heavy-duty transport, aiming to find out how the technology performs under real-world conditions. Lekkerland is also testing hydrogen trucks in live operation, comparing them with biogas and electric vehicles, to better assess which solution fits which type of transport job.

Costs remain high for now, refueling infrastructure is limited, and green hydrogen isn't available everywhere. Hydrogen therefore currently remains more of an option with potential than a solution ready for widespread use.

The shift in powertrains across retail is thus also a question of infrastructure, energy supply, and location policy. Whether electric trucks, biofuels, or hydrogen can be deployed more broadly in daily operations depends not just on vehicle technology, but equally on robust power grids, charging points, refueling infrastructure, and the availability of renewable energy. At the same time, the topic is taking on a geopolitical dimension: whoever secures early access to green energy and the right supply infrastructure will gain an advantage in a logistics landscape likely to be shaped increasingly by energy technology rather than powertrain technology alone.