Coke Canada Bottling Debuts First Volvo VNR Electric Trucks in its Iconic Red Fleet

Montreal, Canada- Volvo Trucks North America., and its customer Coke Canada Bottling Limited (Coke Canada Bottling) unveiled its first Volvo VNR Electric trucks. The vehicles are a part of a six-truck electric vehicle test program to support their renowned "Red Fleet" client delivery routes around the Greater Montreal Area. The first food and beverage producer in Canada to announce the addition of electric Class 8 trucks to its fleet was Coke Canada Bottling.

The Volvo VNR Electric trucks are helping Coke Canada Bottling achieve its target of cutting carbon emissions from supplied energy and direct sources by 46.2 percent by 2030 as part of the company's Toward a Better Future Together environmental sustainability action plan. Coke Canada Bottling is implementing various fuel efficiencies in their fleet in addition to the usage of zero-tailpipe emission Volvo VNR Electric trucks by electrifying light-duty service vehicles and using alternative fuels.

During a special fifth anniversary celebration, Coke Canada Bottling's Volvo VNR electric trucks made their premiere. The company's distribution center in east Montreal is home to a fleet of 650 heavy-duty vehicles that serve customers throughout the area. Employees got to drive in person as part of the festivities.  Other stakeholders showed their support for the idea by attending the event as well.

Peter Voorhoeve, president, Volvo Trucks North America  said, “Our global brand and this Canadian, family-owned business are well aligned on rapidly advancing environmental sustainability action plans. 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.”  

Todd Parsons, chief executive officer at Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Limited said, “As we celebrate our fifth birthday, marking the first of many milestones on our journey towards building a multi-generational business, we are reminded of the incredible journey we’ve embarked on. This milestone is not just a nod to our past and present, but also a beacon for the exciting future we eagerly anticipate. 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. We acknowledge the journey ahead, the work to be done, and are enthusiastic about the potential of this pilot with Volvo Trucks.”

The Volvo VNR Electric trucks from Coke Canada Bottling have six batteries and can travel up to 440 km (275 miles) on a single charge. The trucks make several daily round trips of 150 km (93 miles) from the beverage company's distribution center in Montreal to client locations all over the region.At its Montreal Distribution Center, Coke Canada Bottling added three 150 kW DC chargers with nine dispensers to support drive-through charging for Volvo VNR Electric trucks. The vehicles can charge to 80% in just 90 minutes and have a 565 kWh battery capacity.

The Volvo Trucks Certified Electric Vehicle dealership in their area will provide support for the Volvo VNR Electric trucks. In order to provide full support throughout a customer's electromobility journey, including seeking incentive funds to lower the cost of the battery-electric trucks, this certification involves thorough sales and service training for all the dealership's staff.

Coke Canada Bottling used financing from the Incentives for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicles (iMHZEV) Program and the Écocamionnage federal and provincial incentives to offset the cost of the six Volvo VNR Electric trucks.