Volvo’s VNR Electric Reaches 10 Million Customer Miles
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Volvo Trucks North America’s VNR Electric model has reached 10 million miles of on-the-road customer operations, the company said.
Almost 600 of the Volvo Group AB unit’s battery-electric straight trucks and tractors are now operational in the U.S. and Canada, it said Dec. 2. Commercial orders for the tractor began in December 2020.
The VNR Electric fleet reached 8 million zero-emission miles in October, said VTNA President Peter Voorhoeve, and carriers operating VNR Electric trucks are collectively driving more than 200,000 miles every week, per the company.
The VNR Electric is available in five configurations: 4x2 straight truck, 6x4 straight truck, 4x2 tractor, 6x2 tractor and 6x4 tractor. The latter two day-cab options offer a maximum range of 275 miles on a single charge, while the 4x2 alternative has a range of 175 miles.
VTNA also debuted plans for a battery-electric version of the company’s flagship Class 8 semi tractor in June.
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The truck maker on June 20 offered the North American press corps a first glimpse of a pre-production VNL 440 electric regional haul semi, which is a 42-inch midroof sleeper model.
Orders for the VNL Electric are expected to open in the last couple of months of 2025 or at the beginning of 2026.
The trucks will be built at VTNA’s New River Valley plant in Dublin, Va., which underwent a $400 million revamp ahead of the launch of the VNL.
The VNL was launched in January, and serial production began in October.
While customers are continuing to rack up miles in the VNR Electric at an increasing pace, top executives at truck makers continue to be disappointed with the uptake of battery-electric models, including Voorhoeve.
“Although the battery-electric deployments have not scaled as quickly as we anticipated or hoped for, Volvo Trucks remains committed to decarbonizing transportation. Our customers are logging an increasing number of miles every day, proving that the shift is not only possible but is underway,” VTNA’s top executive said in a statement accompanying the VNR Electric’s latest milestone.
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“We are optimistic about accelerating the adoption of sustainable technologies through our strong partnerships with our dealers, customers and organizations like PACT [Powering America’s Commercial Transportation],” he added.
PACT, a charging infrastructure education and lobbying initiative, was launched in January by Volvo Group North America, Daimler Truck North America and what was then known as Navistar. Traton Group-owned Navistar rebranded as International Motors in September. The companies account for five of the top seven U.S. Class 8 tractor brands by sales.
VTNA’s Certified EV Dealer network has 69 dealer locations across 28 states and four Canadian provinces.
