Martin Brower, a supply chain solutions provider for global restaurant chains, now is taking delivery of 10 additional VNR Electric vehicles from Volvo Trucks North America that will support its Canadian food and beverage deliveries to select McDonald’s restaurants in the Greater Montreal and Toronto areas.
As a key distributor for McDonald’s, Martin Brower partnered with the restaurant chain to help reduce its carbon footprint with the expansion of alternative-fuel vehicles in Martin Brower’s fleet in two of its Canadian distribution centers. The battery-electric tractors used for deliveries to select McDonald’s will expand on the trial of the first zero-tailpipe emission truck deployed in 2022 at Martin Brower’s Baie d’Urfé distribution center to support deliveries to McDonald’s restaurants in the Montreal area.
“It’s exciting to see a powerhouse brand like McDonald’s working with their partners to help decarbonize the transportation of goods,” Matthew Blackman, VTNA managing director for Canada, said in a news release. “It’s a testament to the performance and reliability of the Volvo VNR Electric that these global leaders are choosing to scale their trial of battery-electric vehicles where feasible.”
The first Class 8 VNR Electric to service McDonald’s restaurants in North America was part of a trial in the Montreal area to assess the heavy-duty battery-electric vehicle’s ability to handle routine routes and large product loads, VTNA said. Following this initial trial, McDonald’s Canada and Martin Brower collaborated to deploy 10 more Volvo VNR Electric vehicles. Seven of these vehicles will operate in the Greater Toronto area, while the remaining three will be domiciled at the Montreal distribution center in Baie-D'Urfé.
“After two years with the battery-electric Volvo VNR tractor on the road, we are pleased to see more electric vehicles added to the fleet serving McDonald’s restaurants in the trial areas, as we work toward our global pledge to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050,” said Hope Bentley, head of supply chain for McDonald’s Canada. “Even though customers won’t notice any difference in their favorite order, McDonald’s is taking action behind the scenes to help make an impact in the communities we serve.”
Martin Brower is a long-time service provider for McDonald’s, partnering since 1956 to deliver products to founder Ray Kroc’s first restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois. Both companies have pledged objectives relating to GHG emissions reduction, with McDonald’s aiming to achieve net-zero GHG emissions globally by 2050 and Martin Brower targeting a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030.
“McDonald’s has been a like-minded collaborator for many decades with aligned goals,” said Julie Dell’Aniello, president of Martin Brower Canada. “Together, our companies share similar commitments to test alternative-fuel vehicles.”
Martin Brower worked with the Vision Truck Group, a local Volvo Trucks certified electric vehicle dealer, to spec the ideal truck configuration based on the routes and application monitored during the Montreal trial. Vision Truck Group utilized the electric performance generator (EPG) tool to identify the preferred VNR Electric configurations for Martin Brower to best service McDonald’s restaurants in the test market. The EPG takes into consideration specific route details, including traffic patterns and environmental factors, such as terrain and ambient temperature. The electric vehicles based in the Baie d’Urfé distribution center will be serviced by Camions Volvo Montreal, which assisted Martin Brower with its first 6x4-configuration VNR Electric tractor during the initial trial.
