LOS ANGELES — Volvo Trucks North America customer McLane Company is taking delivery of three Volvo VNR Electric trucks to provide zero-tailpipe emission deliveries in Southern California.
The Volvo VNR Electric trucks are the first Class 8 electric tractors that will be on the road for McLane and will operate on the highways and city streets of the densely populated Los Angeles metropolitan area, transporting products to valued customers, including leading convenience and grocery stores.
“McLane is a dedicated environmental partner supporting its customers in their sustainability goals and aligning well with Volvo Trucks’ own commitment to quieter cities, cleaner air, and efficient, sustainable transport,” Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America, said. “The adoption of battery-electric trucks continues to expand in Southern California and our dealer partner TEC Equipment has been invaluable in providing support to customers as they begin their electromobility journey.”
Through McLane Grocery and McLane Foodservice, McLane operates more than 80 distribution centers and one of the nation’s largest private fleets.
The company buys, sells and delivers more than 50,000 different consumer products to nearly 110,000 locations across the nation.
As part of its Green Advantage initiative, McLane has made operational improvements that will not only reduce its environmental impact, but also make it a better and more efficient company.
The three VNR Electric trucks McLane is integrating into its fleet feature Volvo Trucks’ adaptive-loading system, which helps improve energy efficiency. The adaptive-loading system switches automatically between 6-by-2 and 4-by-2 drive-axle configurations using a forward axle that lifts tires off the ground when a trailer is empty, nearly empty, or carrying a light load.
McLane’s Volvo VNR Electric trucks have an operational range of up to 275 miles and were designed as sustainable transportation for fleet operators looking to decarbonize their distribution, supporting local and regional pickup and delivery, and food and beverage distribution. To support its new battery-electric trucks, McLane has installed a 62.5 kW charging infrastructure that includes two ChargePoint Express 250 Stations.
“We are excited to add these new battery-electric tractors to our fleet,” Tony Frankenberger, chief executive officer of McLane Company, said. “McLane is committed to improving the communities we serve and to exemplify the innovation and leadership needed to help our customers meet sustainability goals with the adoption of zero-tailpipe emission battery-electric vehicles.”
Volvo Trucks national accounts electromobility team consulted with McLane to determine ideal routes for the Volvo VNR Electric, based on vehicle range, ideal charging opportunities, and duty cycle. TEC Equipment’s Fontana location will be the servicing dealer. TEC Fontana was Volvo Trucks’ first Certified Electric Vehicle dealership and will support McLane with maximizing vehicle uptime by performing all scheduled maintenance with specialty trained technicians and maintaining an inventory of parts and components.
The three trucks are part of the SWITCH-ON project, a grant to Volvo Trucks to deploy battery-electric trucks in Southern California for regional freight distribution and drayage. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Targeted Air Shed Grant Program is providing the funding, supplemented by the South Coast AQMD for charging infrastructure, to improve air quality in the region.
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