Pet Valu Ventures into Sustainable Transportation with First Two Volvo VNR Electric Trucks
Pet Valu Volvo VNR Electric Truck
Surrey, British Columbia, Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Volvo Trucks North America customer, Pet Valu, Canada’s leading specialty retailer of pet food and pet-related supplies, has added two Volvo VNR Electric trucks to its fleet as part of the company’s ongoing supply chain transformation. The zero-tailpipe emission trucks will help Pet Valu achieve its vision of building Canada’s strongest pet specialty distribution network.
The two Volvo VNR Electric trucks will operate from Pet Valu’s new 350,000-square-foot LEED-Gold certified distribution center in Surrey, British Columbia. The battery-electric trucks are expected to play an important role in optimizing Pet Valu’s pursuit to optimize its energy efficiency and emissions management. The trucks will deliver pet food and supplies to the Pet Valu family of stores, including Pet Valu, Bosley’s by Pet Valu, Total Pet and Tisol throughout British Columbia five days a week, traveling an average of 300 kilometers (186 miles) per day.
Each of Pet Valu’s new Class 8 Volvo VNR Electric day cabs is equipped with a six-battery pack configuration, providing a range of up to 442 kilometers (275 miles) per charge. The trucks will be charged overnight at the Surrey distribution center using two newly installed 120kW chargers.
“We are excited to see Pet Valu taking the initiative in the Canadian pet supply industry by adopting Volvo’s VNR Electric trucks. As they venture into sustainable transportation, this effort is expected to not only strengthen their supply chain but also help support a healthier planet, one ‘purr-fectly’ quiet kilometer at a time,” said Matthew Blackman, managing director for Canada, Volvo Trucks North America.
The near-silent operation of the Volvo VNR Electric trucks provides drivers with a more comfortable driving experience while also reducing noise pollution in local communities. This is especially beneficial for early morning or late evening deliveries to urban and regional deliveries, ensuring a community-friendly solution.
“At Pet Valu, we are committed to continuously improving how we serve devoted pet lovers and their pets,” said Nico Weidel, chief supply chain officer, Pet Valu. “Each electric delivery truck represents an opportunity to avoid consuming over 25,000 litres of diesel fuel or over 62 tonnes of CO2e per year. We’re excited to explore how these trucks perform and assess the potential for further electrification of our delivery fleet in the future.”
In addition to deploying the trucks, Pet Valu worked closely with the Volvo Trucks sales team to identify and secure funding opportunities that partially offset the cost of the vehicles and charging infrastructure. Pet Valu utilized federal and provincial incentive programs, including Clean BC – Go Electric and iMHZEV (Incentives for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicles), to support the adoption of these battery-electric trucks. The company may also be eligible for carbon credits based on fuel savings and yearly mileage, making this transition even more impactful for their business.
To learn more about Volvo Trucks North America and the Volvo VNR Electric, visit the company website.
For further information, please contact:
Kyle Zimmerman
Public Relations Manager, Volvo Trucks North America
kyle.zimmerman@volvo.com
(704) 677-9757
About Volvo Trucks North America
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 2024 approximately 134,000 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.
About Pet Valu
Pet Valu is Canada’s leading retailer of pet food and pet-related supplies with over 800 corporate-owned or franchised locations across the country. For more than 45 years, Pet Valu has earned the trust and loyalty of pet parents by offering knowledgeable customer service, a premium product offering and engaging in-store services. Through its neighbourhood stores and digital platform, Pet Valu offers more than 10,000 competitively priced products, including a broad assortment of premium, super premium, holistic and award-winning proprietary brands. The Company is headquartered in Markham, Ontario and its shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: PET). To learn more, please visit: www.petvalu.ca.
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CONTACT: Lawren Markle TRC Companies for Volvo Trucks North America 424-224-5364 lmarkle@trccompanies.com
