Volvo Trucks North America has announced the commercial introduction and sales start of its zero tailpipe emission, battery-electric vehicle to the North American market. The Class 8 Volvo VNR Electric truck model has a scheduled production start in early 2021.

The VNR Electric model is now commercially available in North America. The Volvo VNR Electric is designed for customer applications and driving cycles with local and regional distribution ranges. The 264-kWh lithium-ion batteries, which charge up to 80% within 70 minutes, have an operating range of up to 240 km based on the truck’s configuration.

“In launching the VNR Electric, we’re answering a very real need from fleet customers across North America — to not just deliver a road-tested, battery-electric truck, but to provide them with solutions for the entire life-cycle of the vehicle,” said Peter Voorhoeve, President of Volvo Trucks North America. “Before making the VNR Electric truck available to our customers, we thought through every aspect of electrification so they didn’t have to. We have worked alongside our fleet customers to plan beyond the vehicle and have developed an entire support system, ensuring this vehicle meets their needs day-in and day-out.”

“Across the globe, Volvo Trucks is leading the electrification race. By introducing a robust lineup of all-electric commercial vehicles in both Europe and North America, we are delivering on our promise to drive this industry toward a sustainable future,” said Roger Alm, President of Volvo Trucks. “Volvo doesn’t view transportation electrification as a disruption of the existing market—we see it as an opportunity to invent something completely new and transformational. We are proud to collaborate with our partners around the world to bring this vision to life, and it is especially impressive to see what is being done together with our partners in North America.”

Volvo Trucks says it is successfully facilitating the introduction of the Class 8 VNR Electric model to the North American market in part through strategic partnerships and participation in innovative demonstration projects.

“By collaborating with 14 other organizations in the Volvo LIGHTS project in Southern California, we gained crucial experience as we worked together to demonstrate the real-world viability of the VNR Electric truck and its supporting ecosystem,” said Peter Voorhoeve. “We fully understand the steps needed to successfully deploy and operate electric trucks and can confidently offer the Volvo VNR Electric to our customers across North America.”