Canadian pet supply chain adds Volvo electric trucks to its fleet

Volvo Trucks North America announced that Pet Valu, a Canadian retailer of pet food and supplies, has added its first two Volvo VNR Electric trucks to its fleet.

Volvo’s VNR series features an Adaptive Loading feature that adjusts its axle position to reduce friction and save fuel. The new trucks are each equipped with a six-battery configuration, allowing them to travel distances of up to 275 miles (442 km) on a single charge. Pet Valu estimates that the vehicles, which will be on the road five days a week, will cover an average of 186 miles (300 km) per day.

Pet Valu said that the new Class 8 Volvo VNR Electric day cabs will operate from its new 350,000-square-foot LEED-Gold certified distribution center in Surrey, British Columbia, where they will also be charged overnight using two new 120 kW chargers.

What Volvo describes as “near silent” trucks will reduce noise pollution in the communities in which they operate, the company said. Volvo Managing Director for Canada Matthew Blackman added that the trucks travel “one purr-fectly quiet kilometer at a time.”

Pet Valu took advantage of federal and provincial incentive programs, including Clean BC Go Electric and Incentives for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicles (iMHZEV) to finance the cost of the trucks.

Source: Volvo Trucks North America