Volvo VNR Electrical Truck to Debut in Utah – Gas Smarts

Volvo Vehicles North America buyer Utah PaperBox, a family-owned enterprise that delivers paper merchandise within the Salt Lake Metropolis area, has turn out to be the primary firm in Utah to spend money on a zero-tailpipe emission Volvo VNR Electrical truck. The Class 8 battery-electric truck will assist to cut back emissions within the area — which has important air high quality challenges because of its distinctive topography. 

As reported by Salt Lake Metropolis’s KUTV Channel 2 Information, Utah is constructing EV infrastructure with the assistance of a $36 million grant via the NEVI program funded by the bipartisan infrastructure invoice. Moreover, it was introduced that the ASPIRE engineering analysis middle at Utah State College was awarded $7 million by the U.S. Division of Vitality to impress site visitors corridors for medium and heavy responsibility autos. The staff at ASPIRE will quickly check expertise that electrifies roads and highways, permitting drivers to cost their autos whereas in movement on the street.

“It is the proper alternative to handle the problem of emissions from vans as a result of greater than 50% of air air pollution in Salt Lake Metropolis comes from vans and automobiles on the street,” mentioned Professor Regan Zane, director of ASPIRE engineering analysis middle, in an announcement to KUTV.

The Volvo VNR Electrical is the primary heavy-duty Class 8 battery-electric truck in Utah PaperBox’s fleet. The six-battery configuration Volvo VNR Electrical affords a spread of as much as 275 miles, enabling the corporate to service its high-traffic supply routes between Provo, Ogden, and Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah.

“Utah PaperBox is a primary instance of a longtime firm that’s altering the best way they function to be a great environmental steward for future generations,” mentioned Jared Ruiz, regional vp – West, Volvo Vehicles North America. “Along with supporting Utah PaperBox, our supplier companion Mountain West Truck Heart will assist different prospects within the area in deploying battery-electric vans because the dealership completes our rigorous accreditation course of to turn out to be the primary Volvo Vehicles Licensed Electrical Car (EV) dealership within the state.”  

Charging infrastructure for the Volvo VNR Electrical is anticipated to be put in by April in preparation for the truck’s arrival at Utah PaperBox’s Salt Lake Metropolis facility. The 150 kW chargers will present the Volvo VNR Electrical truck with an 80% cost in about 90 minutes and can make the most of its current solar energy to keep away from off-peak prices for charging from the grid. As a part of its total sustainability initiatives, the family-run paper firm has made important investments in photo voltaic vitality, beforehand putting in 1,000 photo voltaic panels that generate as much as 1100 kWh per day. The photo voltaic panels additionally present energy to 40 kWh charging stations for workers’ private electrical autos at its facility.   

“My daughter is the fifth era of our household to affix the enterprise, so we perceive the important significance of defending the air high quality locally the place we’ve got lived and labored for many years,” added Steve Keyser, president, Utah PaperBox. “We’re proud to be the primary firm in Utah to deploy a Volvo VNR Electrical, and our driver is wild with pleasure on the probability to drive the battery-electric truck. I predict we won’t be the one firm making the transition, not simply from an environmental standpoint, however for the various enterprise benefits supplied.” 

Utah PaperBox bought its 6×2 Class 8 battery-electric truck via the Utah Clear Diesel Program, an incentive supplied via the Utah Division of Environmental High quality to offset prices for clear fleet transition. The funding program required the corporate to get rid of one among its Class 8 diesel vans in its fleet to get replaced with the Volvo VNR Electrical. 

Utah PaperBox labored with Mountain West Truck Heart to determine the perfect Volvo VNR Electrical configuration to make sure the heavy-duty battery-electric truck would assist each city site visitors in Salt Lake Metropolis and the rugged mountain terrain on its supply routes. The dealership additionally supplied driver coaching to optimize the vary of the Volvo VNR Electrical, together with directions on how one can leverage regenerative braking advantages so as to add energy again to the battery. The Salt Lake Metropolis-based dealership is within the remaining part to turn out to be the state’s first Volvo Vehicles Licensed EV Vendor, a milestone that will make sure the staff is skilled and ready to service the Volvo VNR Electrical truck when it’s delivered to the paper firm later this yr.