MONTREAL — Coke Canada Bottling Limited, unveiled its first set of Volvo VNR Electric trucks Sept. 19, at the company’s Montreal plant. The new Volvo VNR trucks are part of a six-truck pilot of electric vehicles to service Coke’s iconic ‘Red Fleet’ customer delivery routes throughout the Greater Montreal area. Coke Canada Bottling was the first Canadian food and beverage manufacturer to announce adopting electric Class 8 trucks into its fleet.
As part of Coke Canada Bottling’s ‘Towards a Better Future Together’ environmental sustainability action plan, the Volvo VNR trucks will contribute to the company’s environmental goal to reduce carbon emissions from its direct sources and supply energy by 46.2% by 2030, according to a press release from Volvo. In addition to deploying the zero-tailpipe emission and the Volvo VNR trucks, Coke Canada Bottling is adopting other fuel efficiencies in its fleet through electrification of light-duty service and the use of alternative fuel sources.
“Our global brand and this Canadian, family-owned business are well aligned on rapidly advancing environmental sustainability action plans,” said Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America. “We look forward to supporting Coke Canada Bottling as they test out feasibility through this pilot. The deployment of the first battery-electric Volvo VNR Electric trucks at their fifth birthday celebration demonstrates the importance of pursuing environmental sustainability goals, which benefit the community and employees at every level.”
Coke Canada Bottling’s Montreal plant is home to its fleet of 650 heavy-duty vehicles that serve customers across the region.
“Piloting the electrification of some of our ‘Red Fleet,’ an iconic presence on the roads of our country, underscores our ambition to be the leading beverage partner in Canada by earning our social license to operate, and we are immensely proud to partner with Volvo Trucks on this initiative,” said Todd Parsons, CEO of Coke Canada Bottling. “We acknowledge the journey ahead, the work to be done, and are enthusiastic about the potential of this pilot with Volvo Trucks.”
Coke Canada Bottling’s new Volvo VNR trucks feature a six-battery configuration that can cover up to 440 km (275 miles) on a single charge. According to Volvo, this will allow the trucks make several daily round trips of 150 km (93 miles) from the beverage company’s distribution center in Montreal to customer locations throughout the region.
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