The brewery is adding two electric plug-in Nissan Leafs to its local delivery fleet and making its on-site electrical charging stations open and free to the public. The two vehicles will be used for local sales support.

'We chose to move into the electric vehicle realm because electric vehicles have the potential to be zero-emissions whereas gasoline and diesel cars do not,' said Katie Wallace, New Belgium Sustainability Specialist. 'Even charging a car on a coal grid emits fewer greenhouse gasses than an average gasoline-powered engine,' she added.

On average, plug-in vehicles Electric Vehicles (EVs) are 33% more efficient than conventional combustion engines and perform on par with hybrid vehicles for fuel efficiency, according to the brewery.

New Belgium has also recently teamed with Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure provider, Schneider Electric, and have donated two on-site charging stations, allowing staff at the plant and general EV drivers in the local vicinity to quick-charge their EVs during peak working hours. 

'New Belgium Brewing is really a leader in energy efficiency practices and social responsibility,' said Mike Calise, Director, Electric Vehicles, Power Business, Schneider Electric. 'Schneider Electric, as a global specialist in energy management, is proud to partner with them to provide electric vehicle charging infrastructure at their Fort Collins facility to support their initiatives.'

The electric Leaf vehicles are just the start as New Belgium has plans to replace its entire local delivery truck fleet with hybrid vehicles this spring.