Consumer goods giant Kenvue Canada's short-haul electric truck pilot with Fuel Transport achieved nearly 45% savings in diesel costs. Fuel Transport's Vice President of Operations, Peter Perrella, shared this data with Trucking Dive.

In January, the logistics transportation company deployed an electric truck for Kenvue in the Greater Toronto Area for a short-haul, multi-stop delivery route. Kenvue owns personal care brands such as Aveeno, Listerine, and Neutrogena. Now that the pilot has been running for more than five months, Perrella said in an email that the evaluation is progressing well and may expand to other markets, including the United States.

"We are always willing to collaborate with partners exploring more sustainable transportation models to study how these solutions can be operationally implemented in real supply chains," Perrella said. However, the current focus remains on learning as much as possible about the real-world performance of electric trucks in urban environments.

Although recent diesel price fluctuations have prompted companies to seek ways to reduce fuel costs, Perrella noted that the pilot with Kenvue is not benchmarked on short-term cost savings but rather on the long-term viability of electric trucks. Using an electric truck on the Toronto test route resulted in a 44.7% savings in diesel costs.

"Fuel prices are only part of the equation," he said. "We are evaluating the broader operational realities, including charging integration, route planning, vehicle utilization, infrastructure requirements, maintenance considerations, and overall service reliability."

Since the pilot is still progressing within an active operational network, Fuel is focused on accumulating more operational data over time, Perrella said. The pilot will continue until December.

Toronto provides a suitable testing environment

Electric truck deployment and heavy-duty charging infrastructure installation have both made progress in the United States and Canada.

A study released in December by FPInnovations in collaboration with Transport Canada examined a 12-month deployment of Class 8 battery-electric trucks in the Greater Montreal area. Key findings of the study include:

  • Over a six-year cycle, four Class 8 battery-electric trucks (each traveling 90,000 kilometers per year) can achieve a cost advantage of CAD 856,486 compared to diesel trucks.
  • These trucks reduce energy consumption by 60% and greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80%.
  • The vehicles performed well under load conditions and were favored by drivers in many aspects.

However, the report also pointed out shortcomings of Class 8 electric trucks. Some vehicles only operated 150 to 200 kilometers per day, less than half of the advertised range, but this was due to limited charging infrastructure. Additionally, electric vehicles required longer maintenance times compared to diesel vehicles.

The report emphasized that both drivers and dispatchers may need more training to better understand the operation and performance of electric trucks, which "could lead to further efficiency gains, such as awareness of vehicle range and strategies to optimize mileage accumulation."

These factors also influenced Fuel's decision to conduct the pilot with Kenvue.

Perrella said that both Fuel and Kenvue have invested resources in the pilot. Fuel invested in vehicles, charging infrastructure, and broader operational testing, while Kenvue's contribution was focused on the operational level.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels Data Center, the installation cost of charging infrastructure varies depending on factors such as location, charging level, and charger type. Estimates from the North American Council for Freight Efficiency's 2023 report show that installation costs for Level 2 AC chargers can be "hundreds to thousands of dollars per charger," while DC fast chargers or Level 3 chargers can range from $15,000 to $90,000 per unit.

The North American Council for Freight Efficiency noted in a 2026 report that when fuel and infrastructure costs are included, the per-mile cost of a battery-electric truck on regional routes could be 42 cents per mile, compared to 35 cents per mile for current diesel vehicles.

Perrella said that because Kenvue and Fuel already have operational familiarity, this helped adjust the supply chain network when implementing the pilot, from scheduling and route planning to charging integration and delivery plans.

Chris Mascella, Senior Director and Head of Kenvue Canada Supply Chain, said in a press release that the partnership with Fuel enables the company to advance a more resilient and sustainable supply chain network.

"This pilot reflects the tangible steps we are taking to reduce emissions while continuing to reliably deliver the everyday care products Canadians rely on," he said.

Perrella said that working with Kenvue on routes in the Greater Toronto Area provided an opportunity to test electric trucks in high-density delivery routes, congested traffic, and multi-stop delivery windows.

"Conducting the pilot in Canada also allowed us to evaluate performance in cold weather conditions, which is an important part of understanding the realities of scaled electrification in North American freight operations," he said.

The experience Fuel gains from the Greater Toronto Area pilot will help plan future electric truck deployments in other markets where it operates.

"Over time, these experiences can help shape broader deployment strategies across different markets and operating environments, including potential opportunities in the United States—wherever route structures and operating models make sense," Perrella said.