A TEC Equipment outlet in Portland has become the first of Volvo Trucks North America’s heavy-truck dealerships in Oregon to be certified to sell and service regional Volvo VNR Electrics and Mack LR heavy electric refuse vehicles, VTNA announced in twin Jan. 31 releases on behalf of both nameplates.
The certification shows that sales and service teams at the Portland dealership, which also is TEC’s corporate headquarters, have completed the training required to support customers with deploying Volvo VNR Electrics and Mack LR refuse models, according to Volvo and Mack. In July 2021, a TEC dealership in Fontana, California, became the first certified EV dealership, and 18 months later TEC’s outlet in Portland has become the 25th in North America.
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“TEC Equipment continues to be an excellent partner to Volvo Trucks in the introduction of electromobility solutions to heavy-duty fleets operating throughout the West Coast,” VTNA President Peter Voorhoeve said. “We appreciate their ongoing leadership—from the deployment of the first Volvo VNR Electric in North America and the accomplishment of being the first Volvo Trucks Certified EV Dealership in the nation, to now supporting more than a dozen fleets in maintaining their Volvo VNR Electrics and certifying their fourth dealership location in a new state.”
TEC in Portland has installed the necessary equipment and diagnostics tools for a dedicated EV service bay and has trained and equipped four technicians on their service team to manage maintenance and repairs. The dealership also maintains a stock of parts and components required to maintain Volvo VNR Electrics and Mack LRs. To become EV-certified, dealers must meet numerous safety, infrastructure, charging, tooling, and training requirements.
Other EV-certified TEC dealers, all in California in addition to Fontana, are in La Mirada and Oakland. TEC is also working toward certifying its Dixon, California, dealership as part of the Electrified Charging Corridor Project. TEC operates 32 total locations in Washington, Oregon, Nevada, California, Arizona, Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota.
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The 120,000 square-foot TEC-Portland site on Columbia Boulevard along the Interstate 5 corridor offers 25 total service bays, one of which is dedicated to EVs, which require different lifts than those for traditional diesel-burning tractors. The dealership has 20 technicians, 11 of whom are master technicians and four that are EV-certified. TEC Portland has more than $3 million in parts inventory.
“Our team has greatly benefited from all of the hands-on electromobility experience we have gained by working with Volvo Trucks and its Certified EV Dealership program,” said Grant Small, VP of operations, Oregon, for TEC Equipment. “Oregon is among the first states to commit to adopting similar measures to California’s Advanced Clean Trucks rule, and we are now fully ready to support area fleets in achieving their electrification goals.”
