Volvo Trucks North America (VTNA) and Volvo Financial Services (VFS) have joined forces to form Volvo on Demand, a collaborative initiative to change and lead the industry in the truck-as-a-service (TaaS) business model.

“Volvo on Demand is the easiest way for customers to add a battery-electric truck to their fleet by providing the ability to test the technology and understand the requirements to operate an electric fleet without a substantial upfront investment,” Charles Carter, vice president, services and solutions at VFS, said. “Volvo on Demand offers peace of mind to customers who are just beginning their electromobility journey, managing the unknowns and uncertainties of how to best run and scale electric trucks in their operations. We see this solution being exceptionally beneficial to many segments including drayage, regional haul, last mile and smaller fleets, who are tasked with delivering more sustainable transportation solutions for their customers.”

VFS has kickstarted the Volvo on Demand program with 25 Volvo VNR electric trucks, including 20 6×4 tractors with the six-battery configuration and five 4×2 tractors with the four-battery configuration. Volvo on Demand is being launched in the United States in areas with a nearby Volvo Trucks Certified Electric Vehicle (EV) dealership.

“Today we have customers who’ve successfully deployed the VNR Electric and are continuing to seek ways to scale their operations to include more of these trucks,” Jared Ruiz, regional vice president of VTNA. “We have a number of customers who have expressed interest in adding the VNR Electric to their operation but want to understand how it will fit within their specific applications. With Volvo on Demand through VFS, they can gain valuable experience before making large upfront capital investments. With Volvo on Demand, customers can get a single truck or a few trucks with portable 50 kWh chargers to gain real world experience while making plans to scale, including accounting for potential lead times on charging infrastructure installation, with flexible payment terms. We see this program as the next evolution in scaling electromobility solutions by offering unmatched financial flexibility to our customers.”