Volvo Trucks North America, along with third-party supply chain solutions provider NFI, is participating in Run on Less – Electric (RoL-E), an electric truck technology demonstration that showcases advancements in freight efficiency. In 2020, NFI became one of the first fleets in North America to take delivery of Volvo VNR Electrics, which operates out of its Chino warehouse facility that serves as a central distribution center for the Southern California region. The battery-electric Class 8 trucks from Volvo support NFI’s dedicated transportation and port drayage services for customers spanning from manufacturing to retail.
RoL-E is a joint effort between the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) and energy non-profit RMI to demonstrate how battery-electric trucks operating in real-world scenarios can help fleets reduce emissions while reliably transporting freight. The three-week run will kick off on Sept. 2 at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Long Beach, California, and end on Sept. 19, with a press conference planned for the next week at Climate Week in New York City. Throughout RoL-E, one of NFI’s Volvo VNR Electrics will be continuously monitored to report a variety of metrics on runonless.com, including daily miles traveled, energy consumed, the number of pickups and deliveries, vehicle speed and charging sessions.
The Volvo VNR Electric model was designed as a sustainable transportation solution for fleet operators supporting drayage, local and regional distribution, pickup and delivery, and food and beverage distribution. NFI became one of Volvo Trucks’ first customers in North America to demonstrate the VNR Electric through the innovative Volvo LIGHTS (Low Impact Green Heavy Transport Solutions) project in Southern California. The valuable operational information gained by partnering with NFI contributed to the successful commercialization of the Volvo VNR Electric model in December 2020.