A fully electric semi-truck will begin making food deliveries at McDonald’s locations in Canada. The effort is a partnership between McDonald’s Canada, Volvo Trucks North America and McDonald’s supplier Martin Bower.
The truck will be pulling McDonald’s-branded trailers for food and beverage deliveries to McDonald’s restaurants in the Montreal area. Martin Brower has been a supply chain partner for McDonald’s since it opened its first restaurant in 1956.
“We are excited to partner with our long-time customer Martin Brower to be the first to deploy a Volvo VNR Electric in Montreal in collaboration with McDonald’s Canada,” said Paul Kudla, managing director for Canada, Volvo Trucks North America. “It’s a strong statement when all key partners align towards clear greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals. We look forward to continued collaborations with both organizations as they begin their electromobility journey.”
Volvo says the truck is ideally suited for short-haul freight delivery. The truck has a range of 275 miles and can be 80% charged in 90 minutes, according to the company. It will travel from Martin Brower’s Montreal Distribution Centre to McDonald’s locations across the region.
“Our goal is to deliver innovative and meaningful solutions to help restaurants and our business create a more sustainable, ethical, and responsible future — every day, all over the world,” Martin Bower President Julie Dell’Aniello said. “By integrating the Volvo VNR Electric tractor into our fleet, we will gain valuable experience for future zero-tailpipe emission tractor deployments that will enable us to continue driving down Martin Brower’s greenhouse gas emissions so we can meet our sustainability targets.”
The effort is a test to assess the feasibility of scaling alternative fuel vehicles to service McDonald’s more than 1,400 restaurants across Canada and aligns with McDonald’s global commitment to achieve net-zero emissions across its global operations by 2050.
“The trial of the VNR Electric model vehicle in Montreal is another example of how we continue to evolve our business to meet the current moment and rise to future challenges,” McDonald’s Canada President and CEO Jacques Mignault said.
He continued: “This trial has the potential to influence a major shift in the way we approach supply chain distribution that will bring us closer to reaching McDonald’s net-zero goals. Considering the potential impact the trial could have on our business and our global greenhouse gas emissions reduction commitments, this is an extremely significant moment for the company.”
