“Partnership is the new leadership,” Martin Lundstedt, president and CEO of Volvo Group declared Feb. 11, just prior to Volvo parading out five battery electric VNRs as part of its LIGHTS (Low-Impact Green Heavy Transport Solution) project.

The company credited a deep roster of 14 partners, including the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for making the project a success.

Volvo LIGHTS was launched in 2018 and the first electric trucks were produced on schedule. They’ll be delivered to several fleets operating in California and serviced by TEC Equipment, which has installed two charging stations. About 250 people were invited to the launch, and Canadian fleets including Purolator, Bison Transport, Loblaw, Challenger, Canadian Tire and Verspeeten Cartage were represented.

LIGHTS represents a US$37-million investment from Volvo, which will put another $2 billion into North American research and development per year going forward. Lundstedt said that represents the company’s largest ever investment in North America.

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