Canadian food and pharmacy retailer Loblaw has deployed electric trucks from heavy-duty truck manufacturer Volvo for grocery deliveries.

The retailer, which owns brands including No Frills and Maxi, has launched two Volvo VNR Electric 6 x 4 tractors to transport products across its stores in the Greater Montreal area.

The trucks feature a six-battery pack configuration with a capacity of 565kWh that can be fully charged in 90 minutes.

Volvo VNR Electric trucks have a range of up to 442km and will operate out of Loblaw’s distribution centre in Boucherville, Quebec.

Four chargers, including a 175kW high-power fast charger, have been installed to support them.

Volvo dealer Camions Volvo Montreal will be responsible for maintaining and servicing the vehicles.

Volvo Trucks North America president Peter Voorhoeve stated: “Loblaw has been purchasing Volvo trucks for more than 25 years and we have worked to provide them with dependable, efficient and innovative solutions that meet their evolving needs. Now, with the adoption of the Volvo VNR Electric, we are taking our partnership to a new level, uniting in our commitment to decarbonising the transportation industry."

The introduction of Volvo VNR Electric trucks is in line with Loblaw’s sustainability goal of achieving net zero operations by 2040.

The retailer will continue to expand the use of battery-electric trucks as it aims to fully transition to zero tailpipe emission day cabs by 2030.

Loblaw chief administrative officer Rob Wiebe stated: "We operate stores within 10km of 90% of Canadians, which means we run thousands of deliveries every single day, and millions per year.

"Finding viable solutions to decarbonise our transportation fleet is critical, as we work to fight climate change.”