Volvo Trucks North America has designated Expressway Trucks as a Volvo Trucks Certified Electric Vehicle (EV) Dealer.
The dealership’s Waterloo location is the first to be certified in Ontario, Canada, and is ideally located near Highway 401, one of the busiest traffic corridors in the country.
“Expressway Trucks continues to be an outstanding dealer partner and is taking a leadership role to expand Volvo VNR Electric deployments in Canada,” says Peter Voorhoeve, president, Volvo Trucks North America. “We have had great success running Volvo VNR Electrics in the cold Canadian winters in the Quebec region, providing a proof point to other Canadian fleets that battery-electric trucks perform well in extreme temperatures.”
Expressway has locations in Ayr (Waterloo) and Owen Sound. Given its role in growing Volvo Trucks’ market share and delivering superior customer service, it has been named the Volvo Dealer of the Year Award three different times (2010, 2012, and 2014).
The dealership held an EV Demo event in early 2022 with very strong attendance and interest from their customers. To prepare to support customers in the region with their electromobility journey, the dealership’s sales group continues to participate in the rigorous Volvo Trucks Certified EV Dealer training program which covers a range of topics — from evaluating the benefits of fleet electrification on current routes to providing direction in navigating funding and incentive programs, the company says.
Volvo says two of Expressway Trucks’ technicians have completed the training to safely perform battery-electric truck maintenance and repairs for trucks in operations. To provide comprehensive coverage support and get customers back on the road quickly, the technicians work on two separate shifts. In addition, the dealership maintains a stock of key parts and components for the VNR Electric model and has installed 50 kW Heliox chargers to support battery-electric trucks, the company adds.
“We realized from the beginning that EVs are going to be a large part of our business going forward and felt the investment required was worth it as customer demand and interest builds,” says Barry Peters, Volvo new Truck Sales Manager. “With the recent announcement of substantial rebates for Ontario-based buyers, we expect potential Volvo VNR Electric buyers to become more serious during the next 12 months.”
In July, Canada’s Transport Ministry announced a nearly C$550 million purchase or lease incentive program for new medium- and heavy-duty zero-tailpipe emission vehicles. Volvo says up to C$200,000 may be awarded for the purchase or lease of an eligible new zero-tailpipe emission vehicle. Expressway Trucks’ sales team is prepared to consult with regional fleets who are considering investing in the Volvo VNR Electric and provide guidance on maximizing available incentives.
