Schilling Hard Cider Rolls Out Electric Vehicle Fleet

Schilling Hard Cider has rolled out eight custom-branded 2023 Chevy Bolt EVs in an effort to reduce its carbon footprint. Its first carbon inventory was completed in 2021, and the company says it will continue to conduct carbon inventories annually and set carbon reduction goals. Switching to all-electric cars is a top priority.

The new fleet, estimated to travel 100,000 miles annually, is expected to save 33.4 metric tons of carbon emissions annually. The EV fleet will also help eliminate other emissions associated with traditional gasoline-powered vehicles, including nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. This move will also help in reducing noise pollution in residential areas, as electric motors run more quietly than gasoline engines.

The first eight vehicles will roll out of the company's Pacific Northwest headquarters , with more EVs to be added in the future. Schilling Cider says it will not purchase any fossil-fueled vehicles moving forward and does not have any in its fleet.

According to co-founder & CEO Colin Schilling, "Our commitment to reducing our carbon emissions and our environmental impact with electric cars makes sense because clean energy solutions are the path forward if we want to mitigate the effects of climate change and put our planet in a better place for future generations. While we've implemented many carbon-reducing initiatives that are now industry standards, there's more to do."

To reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, Schilling Cider has invested in upgrades to its production facility.

In 2013, Schilling transitioned from bottles to cans. As cited in the case study from Elliot Maltz, Ph.D, "For every pound of aluminum cans recycled—90% of the aluminum can be put back into the can supply chain."

Schilling uses printed cans rather than wraps or stickers, which are only recyclable when consumers remove the label by hand. The cidery's packaging is reportedly 100% recyclable.

Schilling built a canning line with variable frequency drive motors, which allows the canning process to operate at different speeds for additional energy efficiency.

The cidery’s tunnel pasteurizing process with heat zone regeneration recoups energy and is 85-90% more efficient.

As part of a Puget Sound Energy (PSE) grant, Schilling installed a CO₂-to-glycol heat exchanger that uses heat from fermentation to gasify liquid CO₂ rather than electricity, resulting in energy savings.

Schilling has offered free level 2 EV charging to employees at its HQ since 2021.

During production, carbonation is added immediately before packaging. This process reduces up to 50% of the CO₂ typically released with traditional tank carbonation.