‘A pleasure’: EV utes to service Woolies supermarkets in Sydney's west

A fleet of Australian-made electric vehicles will service supermarket stores across western Sydney amid a push to revitalise motor manufacturing in Australia.

Nine electric utes developed and manufactured in the city’s west by Queensland-based ACE-EV Group will operate trolley pick-up at Woolworth’s stores.

ACE-EV Group Managing Director Gregory McGarvie said they were “a pleasure” and produced no pollution, and back the now-defunct auto industry.

“We have auto here. It’s an apex industry, it’s complex but it breeds so many other industries below it,” Mr McGarvie said.

The utes were first announced in May and are expected to collect up to 1000 trolleys a day from carpark collection bays and surrounding streets.

While manufactured in western Sydney, the utes are reportedly assembled overseas. Among their features is a warning light for pedestrians.

Woolworths 360 Facilities Director Jane Frewan said earlier this year the supermarket had “jumped at opportunity” for new trolley service.

“We were inspired by the innovative technologies we saw from Gregory McGarvie and his team at ACE EV Group,” Ms Frewan said.

The nine utes provided by ACE-EV join a fleet of six already on the road, according to a statement by the Queensland start-up.

It comes seven years after the effective closure of local auto manufacturing with the departure of Toyota, Ford and Holden