Two dealerships from Quebec will be the first Volvo Trucks-certified electric vehicle dealers in Canada, after completing a rigorous training program

Volvo Trucks North America is ready to expand its network of certified electric vehicles dealerships into Canada.

The automakers announced Camions Volvo Montreal and Paré Centre du Camion as the first dealers to complete its required training program. The two Quebec-based dealerships will now have sales and service teams that will be able to support the commercial deployment of Volvo’s Class 8 battery-electric trucks in the region.

“Expanding our Volvo Trucks Certified EV Dealer network into Canada is an important milestone in our efforts to deploy our zero-tailpipe emissions Volvo VNR Electric trucks across all corners of North America,” said Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America in a press statement.

“We commend our long-time dealer partners Camions Volvo Montreal and Paré Centre du Camion for taking on this important leadership role in Canada, helping Volvo Trucks develop the ecosystem needed to support electromobility efforts at scale in the Quebec province.”

The program training

As part of the Volvo Trucks Certified EV Dealer program, sales representatives are trained on how to consult with customers and help them select the model configurations of the Volvo VNR Electric that will be most viable for their operations.

Technicians also received a dealership certification after completing technical training on electric drivetrains and components maintenance and were prepped on what safety procedures to follow when working with high-voltage systems.

The certification includes investments in vehicle diagnostics tools and requires the dealerships to keep stock of the parts and components for the VNR Electric model to reduce service times and get clients back on the road as soon as possible.

The Quebec dealerships

Paré Centre du Camion, which has two dealership locations in Québec City and Lévis, already has three technicians who have completed the training and certification of Volvo’s program and are qualified to perform maintenance and repairs on the electric truck. The Quebec City location is also equipped with an electric truck charger.

“We are thrilled to be one of the first two dealerships in Canada to complete the Volvo Trucks Certified EV Dealer designation and look forward to helping our fleet customers in the region transition to Volvo VNR Electric trucks to improve supply chain sustainability,” said Marie-Claude Paré, dealer principal, Paré Centre du Camion in a press statement.

“We are big champions of Volvo Trucks’ mission…and plan to share valuable feedback from our customers on their experience operating Volvo VNR Electrics in the extreme cold of Canadian winters.”

The second recipient of the EV training program was Camions Volvo Montreal’s Dorval location. The facility now includes six truck bays that can support battery-electric vehicle maintenance and repairs and a mobile EV charging station. The dealership has six technicians that have finished the training program and one completing some additional courses to become an internal training resource specialist for other technicians.

Jean-Francois Bibeau, vice-president of sales at Camions Volvo Montreal said in a press release: “We are having weekly conversations with our customers who are very interested in the Volvo VNR Electric technology, including discussing which routes might be ideal to start with when integrating battery-electric trucks into their fleet.”