Volvo Trucks North America has recently designated Expressway Trucks as a Volvo Trucks Certified Electric Vehicle (EV) Dealer, signifying that it is ready to support customers interested in adding Volvo VNR Electrics to their local and regional distribution, pickup and delivery, and food and beverage distribution routes, according to a Volvo press release. The dealership’s Waterloo location is the first to be certified in Ontario, Canada, and is located near Highway 401, one of the busiest traffic corridors in the country.
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“Expressway Trucks continues to be an outstanding dealer partner and is taking a leadership role to expand Volvo VNR Electric deployments in Canada,” said Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America. “We have had great success running Volvo VNR Electrics in the cold Canadian winters in the Quebec region, providing a proof point to other Canadian fleets that battery-electric trucks perform well in extreme temperatures.”
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“We realized from the beginning that EVs are going to be a large part of our business going forward and felt the investment required was worth it as customer demand and interest builds,” said Barry Peters, Volvo new truck sales manager. “With the recent announcement of substantial rebates for Ontario-based buyers, we expect potential Volvo VNR Electric buyers to become more serious during the next 12 months.”
The dealership, which has received the Volvo Dealer of the Year Award three different times (2010, 2012, and 2014), held an EV demo event in early 2022. To prepare to support customers in the region with their electromobility journey, the dealership’s sales group continues to participate in the Volvo Trucks Certified EV Dealer training program which covers a range of topics—from evaluating the benefits of fleet electrification on current routes to providing direction in navigating funding and incentive programs.
Two of Expressway Trucks’ technicians have completed the training to perform battery-electric truck maintenance and repairs for trucks in operations. To provide comprehensive coverage support and get customers back on the road quickly, the technicians work on two separate shifts. In addition, the dealership maintains a stock of parts and components for the VNR Electric model and has installed 50 kW Heliox chargers to support battery-electric trucks.