Volvo Group North America’s Keith Brandis, vice president of system solutions and partnerships, recently was presented the Industry Distinguished Service Award by the University of California, Riverside’s Bourns College of Engineering – Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT).

Brandis was recognized for his contributions and leadership in several innovative transport initiatives, including the award-winning Volvo LIGHTS (Low-Impact Green Heavy Transport Solutions) project. He received the honor during the university’s 30th annual awards ceremony at the Riverside, California research center earlier this month.

“I am very honored to receive the Industry Distinguished Service Award from CE-CERT, one of the world’s preeminent automotive research laboratories,” Brandis said. “Having the opportunity to collaborate with CE-CERT’s engineers on the Volvo LIGHTS projects during the last few years has been a rewarding experience, as I’ve been able to witness firsthand the innovative thinking that their team applies to their research and design initiatives.”

The Industry Distinguished Service Award is a long-honored tradition to recognize an outside affiliate who has contributed to CE-CERT’s growth and advancement of its mission. Brandis worked closely with CE-CERT throughout the Volvo LIGHTS project – a unique collaboration between 14 public and private organizations to pioneer a range of vehicle, charging and workforce development innovations critical for the commercial success of heavy-duty, battery-electric trucks and equipment. To support the Volvo LIGHTS project goals, CE-CERT used project data to develop algorithms to improve truck routing and reduce impacts on local communities.

“As a leading research organization at UC Riverside, CE-CERT values its partnerships with industry, government agencies, and academics. The Volvo Group has played a key research role with CE-CERT for a number of years, and we are honored to give our 2022 Distinguished Service Industry Award to Keith Brandis, who has been a good friend of our Center,” said Matthew Barth, Director of CE-CERT at the University of California, Riverside.   

The California Air Resources Board invested $44.8 million in Inland Southern California to reduce emissions from goods-movement trucks and equipment. With investments and resources from the Volvo Group, South Coast Air Quality Management District and other partners throughout the three-year project, Volvo LIGHTS has demonstrated the ability for heavy-duty, battery-electric trucks and equipment to reliably move freight between two of California’s two major ports and warehouses throughout the region with less noise and zero emissions.

Brandis is a 40-plus-year veteran of the trucking industry with a diverse background in truck manufacturing, engineering, sales and marketing for the Volvo Group. He began his career with Volvo Trucks at its New River Valley manufacturing operations in Dublin, Virginia, where all of the brands’ Class 8 trucks for the North American market are assembled.

Today, Brandis works in the Project and Product Strategy Office as the vice president of system solutions and partnerships for North America and is actively involved in several projects driving technological and industry-transforming progress in transportation and sustainability.

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April 28, 2022

For further information, please contact Mary Beth Halprin, Volvo Group North America: phone +1 336-389-2375; email mary.beth.halprin@volvo.com.

The Volvo Group drives prosperity through transport and infrastructure solutions, offering trucks, buses, construction equipment, power solutions for marine and industrial applications, financing and services that increase our customers’ uptime and productivity. Founded in 1927, the Volvo Group is committed to shaping the future landscape of sustainable transport and infrastructure solutions. The Volvo Group is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, employs approximately 95,000 people and serves customers in more than 190 markets. Volvo Group North America, with headquarters in Greensboro, NC, employs nearly 17,000 people in North America and operates 15 manufacturing and remanufacturing facilities in Canada, Mexico and the United States. In 2021, the Volvo Group’s global net sales amounted to about $43 billion USD.  Volvo shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. For more information, please visit www.volvogroup.com.