Volvo bags largest electric truck order in North America

Warehousing and distribution company Performance Team – a Maersk Company, has placed an order for 16 Volvo VNR Electric Class 8 trucks. The deal marks the largest commercial order of the North American zero-tailpipe emission model to date. When put into service, all 16 vehicles will be carrying regional loads daily to customers across Southern California.

Designed for local and regional freight distribution, the Volvo VNR Electric enables decarbonised and quiet transportation on urban streets and roadways. The significant reduction of noise and vibrations also creates a best-in-class, clean and comfortable working environment for drivers.

“The shift toward electrification is an exciting time in the commercial truck space and Performance Team – A Maersk Company is leading the way with its largest order of the only battery-electric Class 8 model in scalable serial production today. Through its commitment to deploy 16 Volvo VNR Electrics by the end of 2021, Performance Team – A Maersk Company has demonstrated a strong commitment to environmental sustainability, and this is another great step forward in reducing the trucking industry’s overall carbon footprint,” said Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America.   

The acquisition of the new Volvo VNR Electric models is part of Maersk’s Environment Social Governance (ESG) strategy to decarbonize logistics. Performance Team – A Maersk Company is participating in a State of California South Coast Air Quality Management District grant to reduce emissions in the transportation sector by replacing diesel trucks with electric trucks and creating new, future charging infrastructure.

“We’re seeing a 30% growth rate in our warehousing and distribution business. Customers are looking for more truck power to meet high volume delivery demands. This new order of Volvo VNR Electric trucks will give us firsthand experience on their performance carrying regional loads and environmental benefits. Our findings will help determine next steps in our fleet modernization and the electric infrastructure necessary for future operations,” said Jason Walker, executive vice- president of operations of Performance Team.

Volvo Trucks North America began taking customer orders for its VNR Electric model in December 2020. Production of the Volvo VNR Electric began in Q2 2021 at the company’s New River Valley manufacturing plant in Dublin, Virginia.