Volvo Trucks North America on Monday designated two dealerships in Quebec, as the first two Volvo Trucks certified electric vehicle (EV) dealers in Canada.

The sales and service teams at Camions Volvo Montreal and Pare Centre du Camion have completed Volvo Trucks’ training program requirements to ensure they are prepared to support the commercial deployment of Class 8 battery-electric trucks in the region.

“Expanding our Volvo Trucks certified EV dealer network into Canada is an important milestone in our efforts to deploy our zero-tailpipe emissions Volvo VNR Electric trucks across all corners of North America,” said Peter Voorhoeve, president, Volvo Trucks North America.

The program was designed to ensure that sales representatives are trained to consult with customers that are considering deploying Volvo VNR Electric to ensure they are selecting a model configuration that is technically viable based on their operating requirements.

The dealership certification ensures technicians have proper technical training required to maintain electric drivetrains and components, as well as understand safety procedures to follow when working with high-voltage systems. The certification also includes investments in the necessary vehicle diagnostics tools and requires the dealership to maintain a stock of parts and components for the VNR Electric model.

Pare Centre du Camion’s Quebec City facility is equipped to service the Volvo VNR Electric trucks, including procuring an electric truck charger. Pare Centre du Camion has trained and certified three technicians to perform maintenance and repairs on customers’ Volvo VNR Electric trucks.

“We are thrilled to be one of the first two dealerships in Canada to complete the Volvo Trucks certified EV dealer designation and look forward to helping our fleet customers in the region transition to Volvo VNR Electric trucks to improve supply chain sustainability,” said Marie-Claude Pare, dealer principal, Paré Centre du Camion.

Camions Volvo Montreal’s Dorval location, that has received the Volvo Trucks EV certified dealership designation, includes six truck bays that have been equipped to support battery-electric vehicle maintenance and repairs, including having access to a mobile EV charging unit. Six of Camions Volvo Montreal’s 30 technicians have completed Volvo Trucks’ training program, with one specialist completing additional courses needed to become an internal training resource for other technicians.

“We are having weekly conversations with our customers who are very interested in the Volvo VNR Electric technology, including discussing which routes might be ideal to start with when integrating battery-electric trucks into their fleet,” said Jean-Francois Bibeau, vice-president of sales, Camions Volvo Montreal.