The funds will modify plants in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia, where Mack and Volvo will produce new equipment or powertrain components.
By David Taube, Waste Dive
The U.S. Department of Energy awarded $208 million to Volvo Technology of America to help fast-track the production of heavy-duty electric trucks and related powertrain components at factories that produce the Mack LR Electric refuse truck.
The funding will assist Volvo Group’s Lehigh Valley Operations truck assembly site in Macungie, Pennsylvania, where it produces Mack trucks, and its New River Valley truck location in Dublin, Virginia, Volvo’s largest truck manufacturing plant in the world.
Facilities will be upgraded and move toward mixed model assembly, allowing for scalability and flexibility, according to Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey.
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“The upgrades enable a novel manufacturing approach that will significantly increase the production capacity potential of battery electric vehicles (BEV)/fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV),” a project summary said, noting how the changes will help improve BEV and FCEV production processes.
The money will help convert the facilities to zero-emission sites, part of Volvo Group’s goal to be 100% fossil-free by 2040, according to a project summary. Among those changes, a Hagerstown, Maryland, plant will get upgrades to support powertrain operations, a Volvo spokesperson said in an email.
