Volvo Trucks North America and AMPLY Power Collaborate on Charge Management Programs for Electric Truck Fleets

The two companies are committed to develop and deliver programs that reduce the total cost of ownership, increase energy efficiency, and increase uptime for heavy-duty truck fleets nationwide

To ensure electric truck fleets are equipped with the necessary charging infrastructure and energy management services, AMPLY Power is collaborating with Volvo Trucks North America on customer programs to maximize uptime and cost savings for electric Class 8 heavy-duty truck fleets. AMPLY Power, a comprehensive electric vehicle charging and energy management provider, joined the Innovation Lab at Volvo Group as a member of the collaboration space established in Silicon Valley.

The Innovation Lab in Silicon Valley has allowed the two companies to collaborate on solutions that support the transformation towards more sustainable transport systems. AMPLY provided valuable insights into the infrastructure barriers and common challenges that deter fleet operators from switching to electric vehicles. In turn, AMPLY gleaned valuable knowledge surrounding the needs of heavy-duty truck fleets and tailored some of its solutions specifically for these types of operations.

Through ongoing collaboration, AMPLY Power and Volvo Trucks North America are now working on bi-coastal projects with two heavy-duty electric truck fleets. A notable customer that the two companies are working with is Manhattan Beer Distributors, one of the largest beverage distributors in the country and based in New York City.

“The goal of the Innovation Lab is to create a pathway where Volvo Group and start-ups can co-create and jointly validate new digital solutions and business propositions with Volvo Group stakeholders and customers,” said Fredy Daza, director of the Innovation Lab at Volvo Group Connected Solutions. “The Manhattan Beer Distributors project is a real-world example of how Volvo Group is accelerating advanced transportation solutions by collaborating with startups in the Silicon Valley ecosystem.”

“We are pleased to have AMPLY Power managing the charging operations for our new electric trucks and ensuring our deployment of EVs is seamless and cost-effective,” said Juan Corcino, senior director of fleet operations & sustainability for Manhattan Beer Distributors. “As a leader in sustainable transportation for New York, we have long focused on minimizing the environmental footprint of our operations, and AMPLY’s charge management services help us further these goals cost-effectively.”

The Manhattan Beer deployment includes five Class 8 Volvo VNR Electric models operating on distribution routes with heavy payloads and return-to-base operations. The trucks have a range of 150 miles and a battery capacity of 264 kWh, needing approximately 70 minutes to reach 80 percent charge. Further collaborations will be planned and announced as AMPLY and Volvo Trucks continue to deploy more electric vehicles.

“Readiness of infrastructure deployment and seamless transition from diesel to electric is essential for a customer’s business transformations towards zero emissions,” added Roopa Shenoy, director of total offer for electromobility at Volvo Trucks North America. “Leveraging expertise in energy management systems as well as making sure the total cost of operation is prioritized with a charging solution, AMPLY is able to offer a comprehensive solution in the electrification journey. We are looking forward to learning from these early deployments and  continuously adapting and evolving our total offer of electromobility solutions.”

With its full-scale charge management system, AMPLY helps fleet operators like Manhattan Beer Distributors manage their energy infrastructure and charging needs for their electric vehicle operations. AMPLY covers everything from site design for efficient energization and movement of vehicles in the depot to software and hardware that communicates with the grid and manages loads to automatically charge vehicles when prices are lowest, or power is cleanest. To manage the charging operations, AMPLY deploys its OMEGA software platform to charge vehicles based on the fleet’s priorities, provides real-time alerts to help guarantee uptime and delivers detailed Scope 2 emissions reporting.

“We are honored to be working with Volvo Trucks, as their leadership has truly pushed the heavy-duty trucking space forward into electric,” said Vic Shao, CEO and founder of AMPLY Power. “For these distribution truck fleets, uptime is mission-critical, and heavy payloads have to be guaranteed. As such, we are focused on optimizing charging operations so that fleets experience the shortest charging times at the lowest cost possible.”

The collaboration with Volvo Trucks comes on the heels of AMPLY Power’s partnership with environmental non-profit WattTime to provide customers with access to emission reductions data and the ability to automatically charge when greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generating plants are low. The company also recently unveiled a new project with Red Hook Terminals in which AMPLY will manage the charging for ten electric yard tractors at its container terminal in Port Newark, New Jersey, representing the single largest deployment of zero-emission battery-electric trucks in the eastern United States.

Category: Electric Vehicles, Engines & Drivetrains, Equipment, Featured, Fleet Maintenance, Fuel & Oil, General Update, Green, News, Products, Tech Talk, Vehicles