Volvo Trucks North America has been ramping up its efforts to increase the number of electric heavy-duty trucks serving its North American assembly plants. Together with four haulage partners, a total of 15 battery-electric Volvo VNR Electric trucks now commute to serve supplier logistics, transporting parts from four different suppliers to the New River Valley Assembly Operations (NRV) in Virginia and Lehigh Valley Operations (LVO) in Pennsylvania.
The electric trucks used are current-generation vehicles that Volvo introduced in early 2022, belonging to US Class 8 and capable of traveling up to 275 miles (about 443 kilometres) on a single charge. Eight of the 15 vehicles are in operation between the company’s main plant (NRV) and three supplier companies several times a day. They are operated by Watsontown Trucking Company, Camrett Logistics, and Online Transport in two shifts, with loading taking place during the drivers’ 30-minute lunch break, on both the first and second shifts, and overnight at the end of the second shift.
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The concept was first implemented in 2021 with Watsontown Trucking Company and Camrett Logistics and has now been extended to Pennsylvania. Since December 2022, freight forwarder Ryder System has been using seven VNR electric trucks to transport heavy-duty truck assembly kits to the Mack Trucks (LVO) plant’s equipment facility in Pennsylvania. The battery-electric trucks have replaced the diesel trucks that were previously on the route.
Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America, emphasized the company’s commitment to sustainability, stating that “we believe in leading by example, and this project is an important part of our strategy to create a world-class, sustainable transport system. By collaborating with our local carrier partners to deploy our own zero-tailpipe emission VNR Electric trucks to service our plants, we are able to improve sustainability within our value chain and in the communities in which our own employees work and families live.”
Volvo Trucks North America’s Daniel Vahlberg added that “we are excited to partner with the fleets that were already servicing our plants to incorporate the Volvo VNR Electric trucks into their daily operations to create a full sustainable supply chain circle.”
Volvo Trucks North America is part of the Volvo Group, a global manufacturer of trucks, buses, construction equipment, and marine and industrial engines. With a network of nearly 400 authorized dealers across North America, the company is setting an example for other manufacturers in its efforts to reduce emissions and promote sustainable transport solutions.
