Volvo Trucks North America has successfully delivered 70 Volvo VNR Electric trucks as part of a $21.5M funding initiative supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD).
The project, named “SWITCH-ON,” has deployed these zero-tailpipe emission trucks to several fleets across Southern California for regional freight distribution and drayage. Initially announced in 2020, SWITCH-ON is now one of the nation’s largest commercial deployments of Class 8 battery-electric trucks. To date, Volvo Trucks has delivered more than 570 Volvo VNR Electric trucks across 31 U.S. states and Canadian provinces.
The SWITCH-ON project was backed by up to $19.5 million from the EPA’s Targeted Air Shed Grant Program, supplemented by $2 million from South Coast AQMD for charging infrastructure, aiming to improve air quality in the region.
The first 15 trucks delivered were the first generation of commercially available Volvo VNR Electric trucks, while the remaining 55 are next-generation models featuring extended range and faster charging capabilities.
These trucks will collect data on performance in drayage and freight applications through 2025, providing at least a full year of operational insights for all the trucks.
Beyond the SWITCH-ON program, Volvo Trucks has introduced other innovative solutions to accelerate battery-electric vehicle (BEV) adoption including working with Volvo Financial Services to launch Volvo on Demand that follows the Truck-as-a-Service (TaaS) business model. With Volvo on Demand, customers can minimize the upfront investment associated with transitioning to battery-electric trucks and leverage the established electromobility ecosystem tailored for Volvo VNR Electric trucks in North America.
Volvo Trucks continues to be the industry leader in Class 8 BEV deployments by applying the best practices learned from both the Volvo LIGHTS (Low Impact Green Heavy Transport Solutions) project and the JETSI (Joint Electric Truck Scaling Initiative) project – which involved collaborating with South Coast AQMD, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and other organizations – to develop blueprints for successfully introducing battery-electric trucks and equipment into the market. The SWITCH-ON project builds on the success of these initiatives and aims to significantly reduce emissions along Southern California’s Interstate-710 corridor, improving air quality for impacted communities.
The EPA Targeted Air Shed Grant Program focuses on regions with the highest ozone and particulate matter (PM) pollution, including California’s South Coast Air Basin. South Coast AQMD is the agency responsible for attaining state and federal air quality standards for this region, which includes large areas of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties, including the Coachella Valley.
The 70 Volvo VNR Electric trucks deployed through this grant are expected to provide lifetime emission reduction benefits exceeding 152.63 tons of NOx, 1.317 tons of PM2.5, and 53,160 tons of CO2. South Coast AQMD will lead the data analysis efforts to evaluate the full breadth of emission reduction opportunities presented by battery-electric trucks.
All 70 of the Volvo VNR Electric trucks will be supported by TEC Equipment – Fontana, which played a key role in helping Volvo Trucks develop the Certified Electric Vehicle Dealership certification as part of the Volvo LIGHTS project. TEC Equipment – Fontana will serve as the primary resource for participating fleets, providing local support for driver training, maintenance, and repairs to maximize fleet uptime and performance.
