Domino's Wants To Rev Up Recruitment With Electric Cars

The market for electric cars is growing fast. Nearly 7 million electric cars were purchased in 2021, according to Grid, and it's estimated that three times that amount will be sold by 2025. The reasons for the growth in the electric car market are of course tied to sustainability and concerns over climate change. As the U.S. Department of Energy notes, electric cars produce far fewer emissions than gas-powered vehicles and are notably free of tailpipe emissions. Given electric cars' superiority from a sustainability standpoint, President Biden has challenged American car manufacturers to make far more of them, asking that fully half of all new cars be electric by 2030, per The White House.

Domino's has become a driver for the electric vehicle (EV) movement in the food industry, following the announcement via press release that the pizza chain has bought 800 new 2023 Chevy Bolt EVs, all of which are slated for delivery service. The first 100 have already been purchased and given a branded makeover, with 700 more expected to be added nationwide during the next few months. In addition to reducing emissions – the company wants to be carbon neutral by 2050, per CNBC – Domino's is hoping this new commitment will help the pizza giant hire more delivery drivers.

According to CNBC, Domino's recent purchase of 800 electric cars wasn't just made with sustainability in mind. The company also wants to attract new delivery drivers. Labor shortages have plagued many fast food franchises since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic – Domino's included. Although the pizza chain insists its hiring numbers have returned to pre-pandemic levels, Domino's is still looking for more drivers and hopes the electric cars will attract those who possess a driver's license, but not a car. "It just allows us to tap into a different driver pool," Domino's CEO Russell Weiner told CNBC. "If you think about today, what we do is hire folks with cars, but that's getting really competitive with what's going on."

The 800 new electric Chevy Bolt cars will be instantly recognizable, given that Domino's has given them logo wraps. Once the cars are all operational, the company will have the country's most extensive fleet of such vehicles, notes QSR. In addition to their total absence of tailpipe emissions, the electric cars are also expected to reduce maintenance and fuel costs for the company, per CNBC. Pizza lovers who want to have their pie delivered by an electric car can visit Domino's website to find out whether any are in service near them, per a press release.