Volvo delivers seven electric VNRs to Ryder

Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022:

Volvo Trucks North America has delivered seven Volvo VNR Electric trucks to Ryder System, Inc. (CCJ Top 250, No. 14) to support local supply chain routes servicing the Volvo Group’s 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 CO2 from its global operations.“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. “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.” 

Volvo Financial Services (VFS) 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, Volvo said. 

This month, 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 will utilize five mobile 50 kW chargers available at the plant, which will be replaced with six permanent chargers — five 100 kW chargers and one 150 kW charger — which are currently being installed.  

Detroit DD15 engineDetroit on Wednesday announced a significant milestone in their heavy-duty engine production (HDEP) with its one-millionth engine produced at the manufacturing facility located in Redford, Michigan.

The HDEP product family at Detroit includes the DD13, DD15 and DD16 engines, all produced in-house.