Act expo 2019 anaheim floor plan1/10/2024 ![]() ![]() The steps required to become an EV-certified dealer started to be formulated during Volvo LIGHTS, a $91-million public-private project that tested all-electric tractor-trailers in Southern California between 20. This year, the number has grown to 36 locations in 19 states, with an additional 56 locations on the road to certification. Last year, Volvo had 18 EV-certified dealerships in North America. “But the worst thing that can happen is when you have a breakdown that’s not planned, and then the whole transportation chain gets disrupted.” They can work with that,” Klevenfeldt said. “Planned or scheduled stops are fine for a customer. This knowledge, combined with constant sensor readings, allows certified service contract operators to proactively schedule an inspection for a time when the shop will have the personnel, parts and space to service the truck. Volvo monitors its connected trucks 24/7 from its North American headquarters in Greensboro, NC.īased on its Blue contracts in Europe, Volvo Trucks now has an understanding of how long some components will reasonably last. This is supplemented by remote diagnostics that can, in some situations, identify upcoming issues and suggest that the truck comes into the shop before something goes wrong. When one of the 37 dealers in 15 states that have been certified for Volvo Blue (seven more locations will open later in 2023) performs maintenance on a covered vehicle, they will always run a 74-point inspection, including analyzing the oil to make sure it’s being changed appropriately. Volvo Blue contracts are purchased for a set mileage, from 100,000 miles (160,934 km) to 600,000 miles (965,606 km) and can be bundled into the purchase price of the truck. “We wanted to provide our customers with service and maintenance solutions, which is white glove.” “We’re looking at all the connectivity features that our trucks have,” Klevenfeldt said, calling them iPhones on wheels. Volvo now is offering Blue contracts for its diesel trucks, which also are becoming more complicated and connected. ![]() Every Volvo VNR Electric tractor sold in North America comes with a Volvo Gold plan, a more comprehensive, bumper-to-bumper contract that covers everything from the batteries to routine maintenance. That attitude is changing with the shift to electric trucks and the reality that some fleets are having problems finding and keeping qualified mechanics - and making sure they have the correct tools, parts and equipment on hand. The North American market has not been all that receptive to bundled service deals, Klevenfeldt said, because customers traditionally have done maintenance and repairs at their own shops or with the help of a third party. Start with the new Volvo Blue “intelligent maintenance” offering for North America, a localized version of the three tiers of service contracts (Blue, Silver, Gold) that Volvo Trucks has for years offered in Europe. ![]() We need to make sure that what we have introduced is solidly working and accepted.” ![]() “We have made so much news in the last few years, we needed to take the news and put it into operation,” said Fredrik Klevenfeldt, director of marketing communications for Volvo Trucks North America. But that’s exactly where the company wants to be right now. Even the trucks on display were there to attract attention and not to showcase any new technology. Instead, Volvo Trucks announced updates to its EV-certified dealer network and a new “white glove” service option for North America. Volvo’s news at the show was not the stuff of newspaper front pages. There were plenty of flashy news announcements about new trucks and future mobility technologies at the 2023 ACT Expo in Anaheim, California. Can they actually run an electric truck properly today? Or do they need to wait? We have said ‘no’ to some customers.” ![]()
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