Volvo Trucks Customer Martin Brower Expands VNR Electric Fleet to Help Advance McDonald’s Global Net Zero GHG Emissions Goals in Canada
June 27 2024 - 10:00AM
Volvo Trucks North America customer Martin Brower, a leading supply
chain solutions provider for global restaurant chains, is taking
delivery of ten additional Volvo VNR Electric vehicles that will
support food and beverage deliveries to select McDonald’s
restaurants in the greater Montreal and greater Toronto areas. As a
key distributor for McDonald's global operations, Martin Brower has
partnered with the restaurant leader to help reduce its carbon
footprint in Canada with the expansion of alternative-fuel vehicles
in Martin Brower’s supply chain fleet in two of its distribution
centres. The battery-electric vehicles used for deliveries to
select McDonald’s restaurants in the greater Montreal and greater
Toronto areas will expand on the trial of the first zero-tailpipe
emission tractor that was deployed in 2022 to Martin Brower’s Baie
d’Urfé distribution centre to support deliveries to McDonald’s
restaurants in the Montreal area.
“It’s exciting to see a powerhouse brand like McDonald’s working
with their partners to help decarbonize the transportation of
goods,” said Matthew Blackman, managing director for Canada, Volvo
Trucks North America. “It’s a testament to the performance and
reliability of the Volvo VNR Electric that these global leaders are
choosing to scale their trial of battery-electric vehicles where
feasible.”
The first Class 8 Volvo VNR Electric tractor to service
McDonald’s restaurants in North America was part of a trial in the
Montreal area, to assess the heavy-duty battery-electric vehicle’s
ability to handle routine routes and large product
loads. Following this initial trial, McDonald’s Canada and
Martin Brower collaborated to deploy ten more Volvo VNR Electric
vehicles. Seven of these vehicles will operate in the greater
Toronto area, while the remaining three will be domiciled at the
Montreal distribution centre in Baie-D'Urfé and operate in the
greater Montreal area.
“After two years with the battery-electric Volvo VNR tractor on
the road, we are pleased to see more electric vehicles added to the
fleet serving McDonald’s restaurants in the trial areas, as we work
towards our global pledge to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas
emissions by 2050” said Hope Bentley, head of supply chain,
McDonald’s Canada. “Even though customers won’t notice any
difference in their favourite order, McDonald’s is taking action
behind the scenes to help make an impact in the communities we
serve, for the planet we share.”
“McDonald’s has been a like-minded collaborator for many decades
with aligned goals,” said Julie Dell’Aniello, president, Martin
Brower Canada. “Together, our companies share similar commitments
to test alternative-fuel vehicles.”
Martin Brower is a long-time service provider for McDonald’s,
partnering since 1956 to deliver food and beverage products to
founder Ray Kroc’s first restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois. Both
companies have pledged objectives relating to GHG emissions
reduction, with McDonald’s aiming to achieve net-zero GHG emissions
globally by 2050 and Martin Brower targeting a 50% reduction in
carbon emissions by 2030 from a 2018 baseline.
Martin Brower worked with Vision Truck Group, a local Volvo
Trucks Certified Electric Vehicle Dealer, to spec the ideal truck
configuration based on the routes and application monitored during
the Montreal trial. Vision Truck Group utilized the Electric
Performance Generator (EPG) tool to identify the preferred Volvo
VNR Electric configurations for Martin Brower to best service
McDonald’s restaurants in the test market. The EPG takes into
consideration specific route details, including traffic patterns
and environmental factors, such as terrain and ambient temperature.
The electric vehicles based in the Baie d’Urfé distribution centre
will be serviced by Camions Volvo Montreal, which assisted Martin
Brower with its first 6x4 configuration Volvo VNR Electric tractor
during the initial trial. The electric vehicles operating in the
greater Toronto area will be serviced by Vision Truck Group.
McDonald’s pledge to achieve net-zero GHG emissions globally by
2050 aligns with the initiative behind the Montreal trial, testing
lower tailpipe emission vehicles with its supply chain partner,
Martin Brower.
To learn more about Volvo Trucks North America and the Volvo VNR
Electric, visit the company website.
High-resolution images associated with this press release and
others are available at https://press.volvotrucks.us/.
For further information, please contact:
Kyle Zimmerman
Public Relations Manager, Volvo Trucks North America
kyle.zimmerman@volvo.com
(704) 677-9757
Volvo Trucks North America, headquartered in Greensboro, North
Carolina, is one of the leading heavy-duty truck manufacturers in
North America. Its Uptime Services commitment is delivered by a
network of nearly 400 authorized dealers across North America and
the 24/7 Volvo Trucks Uptime Center. Every Volvo truck is assembled
in the Volvo Trucks New River Valley manufacturing facility in
Dublin, Virginia, which meets the internationally recognized ISO
9001 standard for quality, 14001 standard for environmental care
and holds a dual ISO 50001/Superior Energy Performance
certification at the platinum level, indicating a sustained
excellence in energy management. Volvo Trucks North America
provides complete transport solutions for its customers, offering a
full range of diesel, alternative-fuel and all-electric vehicles,
and is part of the Volvo Trucks global organization.
Volvo Trucks supplies complete transport solutions for
discerning professional customers with its full range of medium-
and heavy-duty trucks. Customer support is provided via a global
network of dealers with 2,200 service points in about 130
countries. Volvo trucks are assembled in 12 countries across the
globe. In 2023 approximately 145,000 Volvo trucks were delivered
worldwide. Volvo Trucks is part of the Volvo Group, one of the
world’s leading manufacturers of trucks, buses, construction
equipment and marine and industrial engines. The group also
provides complete solutions for financing and service. Volvo
Trucks’ work is based on the core values of quality, safety and
environmental care.
- Martin Brower Volvo VNR Electric Tractor
Lawren Markle
TRC, for Volvo Trucks North America
424-224-5364
lmarkle@trccompanies.com