First Volvo VNR Electric into its Montreal Fleet to Serve McDonald’s Canada Supply Chain

Volvo VNR Electric is now at work delivering supplies to McDonald’s restaurants in the Montreal area and helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Volvo Trucks North America customer Martin Brower, a leading supply chain solutions provider for restaurant chains around the world, has introduced its first Volvo VNR Electric Class 8 tractor to its global fleet. The zero-tailpipe emission tractor will be dedicated to pulling McDonald’s-branded trailers for food and beverage deliveries to McDonald’s restaurants in the Montreal area. Martin Brower has been a key supply chain partner for McDonald’s globally since it opened its first restaurant in the U.S. in 1956 and works closely with the restaurant leader to help reduce its global carbon footprint.

“We are excited to partner with our long-time customer Martin Brower to be the first to deploy a Volvo VNR Electric in Montreal in collaboration with McDonald’s Canada,” said Paul Kudla, managing director for Canada, Volvo Trucks North America. “It’s a strong statement when all key partners align towards clear greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals. We look forward to continued collaborations with both organizations as they begin their electromobility journey.”

Ideally suited for local and regional freight distribution, the Volvo VNR Electric tractor will deliver to local McDonald’s restaurants within a range of 150 km (95 miles) of Martin Brower’s Montreal Distribution Centre, located in the Baie-D’Urfé area. McDonald’s Canada is conducting a trial of the Volvo VNR Electric as part of a plan to assess the feasibility of scaling alternative fuel vehicles to service its more than 1,400 restaurants across Canada where possible. The Quebec location also provides the ideal opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness and reliability of the battery-electric drivetrain and components in the heat of a Montreal summer and the cold, snow, and ice of winter. To ensure the Volvo VNR Electric tractor is charged and ready to support daily deliveries, Martin Brower has installed onsite charging infrastructure.

“Our goal is to deliver innovative and meaningful solutions to help restaurants and our business create a more sustainable, ethical, and responsible future — every day, all over the world,” said Julie Dell’Aniello, president, Martin Brower Canada. “By integrating the Volvo VNR Electric tractor into our fleet, we will gain valuable experience for future zero-tailpipe emission tractor deployments that will enable us to continue driving down Martin Brower’s greenhouse gas emissions so we can meet our sustainability targets.”

In business for more than 60 years, Martin Brower has grown into a multi-billion-dollar company, that services more than 25,000 restaurants in 18 countries including more than 1,400 in Canada. Martin Brower’s global commercial fleet has grown to more than 2,300 vehicles, including almost 40 in Montreal. Utilizing the Volvo VNR Electric in its daily delivery routes for McDonald’s will enable Martin Brower to evaluate future opportunities to deploy additional zero-tailpipe emission tractors in their fleet. This is a key part of Martin Brower’s ambitious, long-term journey to achieving a significant reduction in carbon emissions per ton delivered by 2030 in collaboration with the Science-Based Targets initiative.

The trial aligns well with McDonald’s global commitment to achieve net zero emissions across its global operations by 2050. The addition of the Volvo VNR Electric to the supply chain fleet is one way the Canadian company will contribute to McDonald’s global greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal.

“The trial of the VNR Electric model vehicle in Montreal is another example of how we continue to evolve our business to meet the current moment and rise to future challenges,” said Jacques Mignault, president and CEO, McDonald’s Canada. “Together with Martin Brower and Volvo Trucks, we look forward to understanding how this trial can help us get closer to McDonald’s global net zero emission goals.”

The tractor will be serviced by Camions Volvo Montreal, which was recently announced as one of the first two Volvo Trucks Certified Electric Vehicle dealerships in Canada. Its sales team is fully educated to consult with customers that are considering investing in any of the Volvo VNR Electric model configurations. Its service team has also been fully trained and equipped to safely maintain and repair the Volvo VNR Electric’s drivetrain and components.

“As a Volvo Trucks Certified EV Dealer, we are ready and able to support our customers with their greenhouse gas emission reduction transportation goals,” said Jean-Francois Bibeau, general manager for Camions Volvo Montreal. “Electric is the future of transportation, and this is an exciting first step as we help to lead the transition to battery-electric tractors in Canada.”

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