Performance Team, a Maersk company, is ordering 110 more Volvo VNR Electric trucks — Volvo's largest global order of Class 8 electric trucks to date, and bringing the fleet's total commitment to 126 VNR Electrics.

The California-based logistics company placed its first order of 16 Volvo VNR Electrics in the third quarter of 2021. Performance Team will begin operating those vehicles in the second quarter of the year at its Southern California fleet operations, which serves port drayage and warehouse distribution routes.

The company has ordered an additional 110 Volvo VNR Electric trucks, and all 126 are scheduled to be deployed by the first quarter of 2023. 

"Incredibly, this is the second time in less than a year that Volvo Trucks has had the opportunity to announce that Performance Team - A Maersk Company, has placed the largest order of Volvo VNR Electrics to date, which underscores their organization's firm commitment to reducing its carbon footprint,” said VTNA President Peter Voorhoeve in a press release.

The Volvo VNR Electric model is designed for local and regional distribution, pickup and delivery, and food and beverage distribution. In January 2022, Volvo Trucks announced production plans for its next generation VNR Electric model with an operational range of up to 275 miles. The enhanced Volvo VNR Electric comes with a 250kW charging capability, enabling an 80% charge in 90 minutes for the six-battery package and 60 minutes for the four-battery version.

The landmark order was facilitated in collaboration with TEC Equipment, Volvo Trucks' largest West Coast dealership and the first to achieve the Volvo Trucks Certified Electric Vehicle Dealer designation in North America in 2021.

TEC Equipment's Fontana and La Mirada locations in Southern California will support Performance Team in maximizing the uptime of their Volvo VNR Electric fleets. As Volvo Trucks Certified EV Dealers, the two TEC Equipment locations have trained and equipped their service teams to safely perform battery-electric truck maintenance and repairs for customers. 

Maersk's Sustainability Commitment

Maersk, which said it is the world's largest integrated container logistics company, is leading a variety of initiatives to improve supply chain sustainability throughout each of its business lines. The acquisition of zero-tailpipe-emission, Class 8 Volvo VNR Electric trucks is part of Maersk's environmental social governance (ESG) strategy to decarbonize logistics.

The company is moving "decisively towards building an end-to-end, landside decarbonization offering for our customers, in line with our target to extend Maersk net-zero efforts to all transport modes in our global operation," said Vincent Clerc, CEO of Ocean & Logistics at A.P. Moller - Maersk. "These investments in our North America network will generate valuable experience for the continued journey towards similar customer offerings across the globe.”

The news comes on top of an announcement that Performance Team will add 300 Einride electric trucks to its North America network, to be deployed between 2023 and 2025.