Volvo Cars is expanding its footprint in New Jersey to prepare for a future selling only electric vehicles by building a new technical and training facility, and installing 50 EV chargers, at the company’s headquarters in Mahwah.
Executives, employees and local dignitaries gathered today to break ground at the future site of the Volvo Car Americas Technical and Training Center. The new facility will enable the company to better support its network of retailers and their service technicians in the US, Canada, Mexico and South America. It is scheduled to open in March 2023.
Representative Josh Gottheimer (NJ 5th District), Mahwah mayor James Wysocki and Anders Gustafsson, Senior Vice President Americas and President and CEO, Volvo Car USA, spoke to attendees gathered at the site to mark the occasion.
The Volvo Car Americas Technical and Training Center will house a multi-vehicle workshop and classrooms where service technicians will learn the latest diagnostic and service techniques for all Volvo cars, including plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles.
In alignment with the company’s sustainability focus, the building is designed to be LEED Gold certified. It will feature a 15-kW solar panel system, high efficiency HVAC, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. It provides a framework for healthy, efficient, carbon- and cost-saving green buildings. The Volvo Cars Americas headquarters building, located within the same campus, is also LEED Gold certified.
In addition, Volvo Cars is installing 50 electric vehicle charging stations on the 20-acre property. This will serve the increasing number of employees and visitors driving plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles.
The company’s goal is to eventually make the chargers available to the public, in line with its electrification ambitions.
Volvo Car USA has a long history in New Jersey. The company’s first U.S. headquarters were established in Newark in 1956 before moving to Rockleigh in 1964. In 2001 Volvo relocated to Irvine, California after being purchased by Ford Motor Company’s Premier Automotive Group (PAG). Volvo returned to Rockleigh in 2008 and in 2020 relocated to a larger building near Route 17 in Mahwah, where it currently employs about 340 people.
“We are so proud to be expanding our Volvo Car Americas footprint in Mahwah,” said Gustafsson. “As we continue down the path to become the fastest transformer in the industry, this beautiful new facility anchored around sustainability will further train and educate our retailers and service technicians from across the region on our electrified future.”
“To make sure North Jersey is ready to tackle future energy needs, I’ve been laser-focused on setting up access to clean, renewable energy systems, as well as a reliable and efficient EV charging infrastructure. That’s why I fought to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and bring thousands of EV chargers to Jersey, and why I’m excited to help Volvo Cars break ground on fifty new EV chargers and a new technical training facility,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer. “With this new investment in North Jersey, hundreds of jobs will be created in our community over the coming years, helping Jersey residents and our local economy. It will make North Jersey the center of Volvo’s EV training for the entire Western Hemisphere.”
Mahwah mayor, Jay Wysocki, said, “We recently welcomed Volvo Cars to Mahwah and couldn’t ask for a better addition to the community. The jobs and technology this new technical and training center will hold mean great things to come for our town.”
Construction of the Technical and Training Center is being led by Bedminster, New Jersey-based Stone Creek Construction Group, which specializes in commercial, industrial and life science design-build projects in addition to offering pre-construction and construction management services. Installation of the EV charging infrastructure is led by Star-Lo Electric, an electrical contractor based in Whippany, New Jersey specializing in commercial and industrial electrical construction projects throughout the state.
