Australia-based supermarket giant Woolworths has strengthened its commitment to sustainability across its delivery network.

The retailer aims to replace more than 3,000 internal combustion engine vehicles with 100% electric vehicles (EV) by By 2030.

Woolworths is initially launching 27 of the new EVs, which are scheduled to commence deliveries to Sydney customers in the CBD, Inner West, Sutherland Shire, St George and Eastern Suburbs regions over the next two months.

The retailer will use two EV models equipped with advanced electric refrigeration systems manufactured by Foton Motor and SAIC Motor.

The company caters to more than 22.7 million customers on average each week through its Woolworths and Big W brands.

The announcement aligns with Woolworths’ commitment to source 100% of its electricity needs from renewable sources by 2025.

Woolworths Group CEO Brad Banducci said: “Our home delivery trucks are a familiar sight in neighbourhoods across Australia and within the next seven years, we want to make every one of them electric and free of fossil fuels.

“We’re proud to be putting 27 new EVs on the road in the coming weeks - in one of the many ways we're working to make grocery shopping greener.

“Not only can we help make our suburban streets quieter and cleaner, but we hope to set an example for other businesses to support the growth of Australia’s EV industry.”

Independent global campaigning network Greenpeace has welcomed the commitment and considered it a major progress towards renewable-powered cities.

It is claimed to be the first commitment of its kind made by Australian retailers.

Last month, the retailer signed a strategic partnership with technology company First Insight to drive customer engagement and margins.