Vision Truck Group becomes fifth certified Volvo, Mack EV dealer in Canada

Vision Truck Group, based in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, is now a Volvo Trucks North America and Mack Trucks certified electric vehicle (EV) dealer.

Vision Truck Group, a second-generation, family-owned dealership group, has served the heavy-duty trucking industry for more than 50 years, providing sales, service, modifications, and parts across a network of dealerships in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. With the certification of its Brampton location, Vision Truck Group’s sales and service team will assist its fleet customers across the region, which includes Brampton, Mississauga, Etobicoke, Toronto, and York, with their transitions to zero-tailpipe emission transportation solutions.

Vision Truck Group’s Brampton location was newly designed, built, and launched in 2019. It was designed as a dedicated Certified Uptime Center facility with 34 bays. Two of the bays were built with the tooling and barriers to service battery-electric trucks that can be expanded as the dealership adds electromobility customers.

Vision has been serving the heavy truck industry in Ontario for more than 50 years. Opened in 2019, the Brampton dealership was designed as a dedicated Certified Uptime Dealer facility with 34 bays, 16 of which are uptime and intermediate Bays. The dealership offers 88,000 sq.-ft. dedicated to sales and service, with $5 million in parts inventory. The service department has dedicated check-in, check-out, and billing counters to eliminate customer bottlenecks, as well as a dedicated drive-through check-in queue capable of simultaneous multiple unit check-ins.

Vision Truck Group has 14 technicians that have been trained to perform maintenance and repairs on the Volvo VNR Electric model, in addition to receiving the personal protective equipment necessary when working with high-voltage systems. The dealership also maintains a stock of key parts and components for the Volvo VNR Electric model to minimize service times and quickly get customers back on the road.

“Our team is excited to announce that Vision Truck Group has become the fifth Volvo Trucks Certified EV Dealer in Canada, further expanding the critical sales and service ecosystem necessary to support scaled deployments of the Volvo VNR Electric model,” said Peter Voorhoeve, president, Volvo Trucks North America. “Vision Truck Group’s Brampton facility is located near Highway 410, one of the area’s busiest freight traffic corridors, making it a prime location to support fleets interested in deploying the Volvo VNR Electric Trucks for urban pickup and delivery.”

Volvo Trucks now has certified EV dealers in California, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia, as well as in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, Canada, with several dealerships across North America finalizing their certifications in 2022 and 2023.

Mack Trucks’ EV dealer certification

To become a certified EV dealer for Mack, Vision went through stringent requirements so that it would be able to service and support the Mack LR Electric refuse model and any future electrified trucks.

The EV-certification process is outlined by Mack and dictates various safety, charging, tooling, and training requirements, in addition to infrastructure updates to handle fast-charging equipment. During the certification process a 50kw Heliox portable fast charger was installed.

“As our business partners and brand ambassadors it’s important our dealers are aligned with our electrification strategy. Vision Truck Group is a prime example of a forward-looking, customer-focused dealer that is paving the way for a sustainable future,” said Jonathan Randall, president of Mack Trucks North America. “We congratulate them on becoming a Mack Certified Electric Vehicle Dealer and applaud their investment in training and infrastructure to service current and future electrified products.”

“As a company, Vision Truck Group is dedicated to sustainability. The Brampton facility was designed to be safe, ergonomic, and efficient. We are a paperless operation, and our entire building is designed to minimize its impact on the environment,” said Travis Brown, Vision Truck Group vice president of product support. “We are more than excited to extend that philosophy to our customers who want a Mack LR electric and look forward to helping them with the sales and service.”

The next generation Mack LR Electric refuse vehicle is assembled at Lehigh Valley Operations in Macungie, Pennsylvania, where all Mack Class 8 vehicles for North America and export are assembled. It offers 42% more energy and a standard 376kWh total battery capacity for increased range between charges. Twin electric motors with 448 continuous horsepower and a 4,051 lb.-ft. of peak torque output from zero RPM power the vehicle and enable zero tailpipe emissions, improved sustainability, and a quieter vehicle for refuse collection, according to Mack.

Four nickel manganese cobalt oxide lithium-ion batteries, charged through a 150kW charging system, power the vehicle and all onboard accessories through 12V, 24V and 600V circuits. The two-stage regenerative braking system helps recapture energy from the hundreds of stops the vehicle makes each day with an increasing load.

The Mack LR Electric may be fitted with equipment bodies from numerous manufacturers. The driver/passenger side driving configurations, as well as seating choices and door options, offered in the LR Electric are that same that are offered in the diesel-powered Mack LR model.

Mack recently announced a target of 35% of its global sales will be fully electric by 2030.