You can see the shift happening in the trucking industry: zero-emissions equipment conversations are getting more serious as we barrel toward 2030 and ramping-up California regulations, to name a few examples. Decarbonization talk has moved, at least in the battery electric truck segment, toward equipment and infrastructure support–much of that resting on the dealers’ shoulders.
“Battery-electric vehicles are still new to the Class 8 market, and the team at Gateway Truck and Refrigeration strives to be a leader in the shift, especially when our customers look to us to guide them through the purchase, maintenance and operation of a new technology which will make such an impact in their business,” Zach Wagner, dealer principal for Gateway Truck and Refrigeration, said when Volvo Trucks North America announced that Gateway was the first Volvo Trucks Certified Electric Vehicle (EV) Dealership in Illinois. “Recognizing the different requirements of battery-electric trucks from traditional diesel counterparts, we liked the idea of starting from the ground up with our new facility and designing it to give our customers the service and support they need to succeed in their electromobility transition.”
Gateway has already sold 46 Volvo VNR Electric trucks, with 10 having been delivered to its customer, Quality Custom Distribution (QCD), which have been deployed in QCD’s Southern California fleet operations delivering products to restaurants and coffee shops. QCD’s remaining 35 Volvo VNR Electric trucks will be built and delivered throughout 2023 and 2024. Gateway also worked with customer Artur Express, a nationwide transportation and logistics company to deploy the first Volvo VNR Electric truck domiciled in the central region with a home base in St. Louis.
Continuous EV Certified Dealer announcements from Volvo Trucks North America tout the importance of EV support, but what is the dealer’s responsibility in the EV process? What assistance can dealers provide fleets investing in electric trucks beyond the truck service? And how does all of that relate to the current diesel truck service world and truck technology, like hydrogen fuel cells, to come?
For those answers, watch the interview with Volvo Trucks North America President Peter Voorhoeve above.
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