Loblaw and FortisBC launch B.C.’s first hydrogen-powered grocery delivery truck

Loblaw and FortisBC have officially kicked off British Columbia’s first commercial trial of a hydrogen-powered Class 8 truck. The long-term pilot, unveiled last week at Loblaw’s Marine Drive distribution centre in Vancouver, is a partnership between government, industry, and clean energy partners to test hydrogen’s viability for large-scale transport.

The truck—a Hyundai Xcient Fuel Cell model leased from HTEC—has been operating regular delivery routes since mid-October, hauling groceries between Vancouver and Squamish. The goal is to measure real-world performance, refuelling times, and efficiency under typical operating conditions to help shape future deployment of hydrogen fuel cell trucks across British Columbia.

Unlike shorter-range electric trucks, hydrogen vehicles can refuel in minutes and travel hundreds of kilometres per tank. This combination of range and refuelling speed makes hydrogen an attractive option for decarbonizing heavy freight—one of the hardest sectors to electrify.

While electric charging stations are abundant, hydrogen fuel is supplied by only one station – HTEC’s Southeast Marine Drive station in Vancouver, one of the province’s few public hydrogen refuelling locations.

The program is scheduled to continue through late 2025, generating insights into long-term maintenance, fuelling logistics, and operational costs.

Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said the initiative highlights how collaboration between government and industry can accelerate Canada’s clean energy transition.

“By cutting emissions, fostering innovation, and driving sustainable growth in the transportation sector and beyond, projects like this are helping build a stronger, more resilient future for our country,” he said.

With trucking responsible for nearly a third of Canada’s transport-related greenhouse gas emissions, the success of this project could pave the way for wider hydrogen adoption. For Loblaw, it’s part of a broader effort to reach net-zero operations by 2040, showing that even in grocery logistics, zero-emission delivery is closer to reality than ever before.

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