Volvo Trucks North America delivered seven Volvo VNR Electric trucks to Ryder System to support local supply chain routes servicing the Volvo Group’s Mack truck assembly operations in Pennsylvania. Ryder replaced the diesel trucks that were previously servicing the route and will operate the dedicated zero-tailpipe-emissions Class 8 battery-electric trucks to support the Volvo Group’s sustainability goal of reducing carbon dioxide from its global operations. 

Ryder began operating the Volvo VNR Electric trucks on two shifts completing up to eight round trips daily, with all seven trucks transporting assembly kits of components for heavy-duty trucks at the nearby kitting facility to Mack Trucks’ Lehigh Valley Operations (LVO) plant in Macungie, Pennsylvania.

To charge the vehicles, Ryder initially is using five mobile 50-kW chargers available at the plant. These will be replaced with six permanent chargers — five 100-kW chargers and one 150-kW charger — which are currently being installed. 

Volvo Financial Services worked with Ryder to place all seven of the VNR Electric trucks on five-year vehicle-as-a-service fair market value (FMV) leases. The FMV lease model, which allows a fleet to lease a vehicle for a specified time period, provides the option for Ryder to purchase the Volvo VNR Electric trucks at the current market cost at the end of the lease term. The leasing program with VFS helps to lower the upfront investment and risk while fleets continue to evolve experience and offerings with battery-electric trucks. 

“Ryder has been a long-standing leader in integrating alternative fuel vehicles into our fleet with a goal of driving more sustainable solutions for our customers,” added Steve Sensing, Ryder president for supply chain solutions. “The work that Volvo Trucks has done to accelerate Class 8 battery-electric technology is impressive, with successful working fleets.”

LVO is the second Volvo Group plant to deploy Volvo VNR Electric trucks to transport inbound parts and components daily, with the Volvo Trucks’ New River Valley (NRV) truck assembly operations in Dublin, Virginia, integrating the battery-electric model into its routes earlier this year. Five Volvo VNR Electric trucks are dedicated units for the NRV plant, with each truck running on two shifts for four to five round trips each day, averaging eight miles per route.  

Volvo Trucks began taking commercial orders for its Volvo VNR Electric model in December 2020 and in January 2022, announced its enhanced VNR Electric model, which features notable improvements in battery design and storage capacity, resulting in increased range and faster charging, with a dedicated battery thermal management system to maintain ideal environmental temperatures.

“Volvo Trucks is committed to building a decarbonized future and working with supplier and carrier partners, such as Ryder, who are committed to sustainability,” said Peter Voorhoeve, president, Volvo Trucks North America in a statement. “One of our core company values is environmental stewardship, and by manufacturing and utilizing our own zero-tailpipe emission trucks, we are making good on our promise to lead the commercial transport industry toward more sustainable solutions by advancing electromobility.”