Anheuser-Busch teamed up with fleet partners Nikola Corporation and BYD Motors to deliver Bud Light Next, the brand’s first zero carb beer, with zero-emissions.

The special ‘zero-emission delivery’ leveraged the technology of both partners to sustainably deliver beer from Anheuser-Busch’s brewery in Van Nuys, California, to bars and retailers in Los Angeles using only zero-emission vehicles. The extended range Nikola Tre hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) picked up a load of beer from the brewery and delivered it to the Anheuser-Busch AB One distribution facility in Carson, California. From there, a BYD battery-electric 8TT day cab tractor delivered the beer to local bars and retailers to be enjoyed by consumers during the Super Bowl, held February 13, 2022.

This delivery also marked the expansion of Anheuser-Busch’s partnerships with both Nikola and BYD in California as part of the brewers’ global net-zero ambition and commitment to reducing carbon emissions across their U.S. value chain by 25% by 2025.

In 2018, Anheuser-Busch entered a partnership with Nikola for an order of hydrogen-electric powered semi-trucks to help transition its entire long-haul dedicated fleet to zero-emission vehicles.

This month, Anheuser-Busch and Nikola began a three-month pilot by placing two Nikola Tre alpha FCEVs into daily service within the brewer’s Southern California network. This pilot is an important step for both companies to refine the production specifications and features of the Nikola vehicles and to demonstrate the viability of fuel cell trucking and hydrogen refilling in beverage hauling.

At their distribution facilities, Anheuser-Busch is also adding an additional 20 BYD electric trucks into their California fleet this year.

The brewer currently operates 25 BYD trucks across four California distribution centers, 21 of which were deployed in 2020 as part of the Zero- and Near-Zero Freight Facilities/Zero Emission Beverage Handling at Scale project. Zero Emission Beverage Handling and Distribution at Scale is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen the economy, and improve public health and the environment - particularly in disadvantaged communities. This year’s fleet expansion is a result of the California HVIP program and continued partnership with the California Air Resources Board and CALSTART to deploy advanced technology that is cleaner and quieter on the road.