Holcim US Leads Industry Transition to Net Zero with Electric Vehicle Fleet and Low-emissions Heavy Machinery

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Nov 17, 2022, 08:15 ET

The Holcim US drive toward sustainability includes low-emission vehicles of all kinds, raising the bar in transitioning heavy duty off-road machinery to a more sustainable future

CHICAGO, Nov. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Holcim US puts sustainability first as a green building materials leader. Recent company efforts are accelerating this by transitioning its company cars to electric vehicles that utilize alternative energy and identifying opportunities to make its heavy machinery more environmentally friendly.

As part of the Holcim US Accelerating Green Growth strategy, the company began testing low-emissions vehicles in mid-2022. Working together with auto manufacturers, the North American procurement team's goal is to replace 25 percent of the near 1,400 fleet vehicles with LEV by 2025, or earlier where markets allow.

Given a substantial share of indirect carbon emissions result from transportation between customer sites, factories and distribution terminals, a significant impact can be realized when transitioning vehicles. In the initial electric vehicle pilot, more than 15,000 miles were driven by Holcim employees, consuming 4.3 MWh of energy, which reduced CO2 emissions by 12,000 pounds in less than three months of the project. Earlier in 2022, Holcim US announced it is working with Hyliion Holdings to leverage the company's innovative electrified powertrain truck platform as another component to its efforts to reduce vehicle emissions.

"Accelerating the shift to net-zero mobility, we're the first in the industry to have this extensive of an electric vehicle fleet across our geographic footprint," said Jay M. Moreau, CEO of US ACM. "Combining that transition with our heavy machinery efforts, we're building on our promise of making greener cities through renewable energy, green mobility, and the development of next-generation technologies."

Holcim isn't stopping at simply converting road vehicles fleet to electric, but continues to innovate by improving the environmental performance of heavy machinery, such as bulldozers and skid steers.

"Sustainability and environmental responsibility lead our operations across our footprint, and we work hard to meet these ambitions. It requires quite a bit of collaboration and creative thinking to execute a large-scale change like this," said Atl Martinez, VP, North America Procurement. "Working through hurdles of such a large-scale effort is incredibly satisfying and makes significant progress to our overarching sustainability goals."

Most of the electric vehicle tests use the Ford Mustang Mach E and the Volkswagen ID.4. Holcim also teamed up with Qmerit, to find local electricians to service charger installations, and ChargePoint, to provide home charging and fast charging on-the-go.

The transition of vehicles and heavy machinery is only part of Holcim's work toward the transition to net zero. From offering low-carbon cements and concretes to innovative carbon capture research, the company continues to innovate and put sustainability first. Learn more here: https://www.holcim.us/sustainability.

About Holcim US

Holcim builds progress for people and the planet. As a global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions, Holcim is enabling greener cities, smarter infrastructure and improving living standards around the world. With sustainability at the core of its strategy Holcim is becoming a net zero company, with its people and communities at the heart of its success. The company is driving the circular economy as a world leader in recycling to build more with less. Holcim is the company behind some of the world's most trusted brands in the building sector, including Aggregate Industries, Disensa, Firestone Building Products, Geocycle, Holcim and Lafarge. Holcim is 70,000 people around the world who are passionate about building progress for people and the planet through four business segments: Cement, Ready-Mix Concrete, Aggregates and Solutions & Products.

In the United States, Holcim, includes close to 350 sites in 43 states and employs 7,000 people. Our customers rely on us to help them design and build better communities with innovative solutions that deliver structural integrity and eco-efficiency.

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SOURCE Holcim