California truck dealer certified for e-vehicle service

Affinity Truck Center, Fresno, Calif., recently achieved Certified Electric Vehicle (EV) Dealer status for Mack and Volvo Trucks vehicles. It is the first Volvo certified EV dealer in California’s Central Valley.

The Affinity Truck Center location in Fresno, Calif., has been named a certified electric vehicle service dealer for Mack’s LR Electric (above) and Volvo’s VNR Electric trucks.

The CEV designation allows Affinity to support the Mack LR Electric refuse vehicle, as well as the Volvo VNR Electric, which is targeted toward local and regional distribution, pickup and delivery, and food and beverage distribution.

Production of Mack’s LR Electric began in December 2021 at the Mack Lehigh Valley Operations facility in Macungie, Pa., where all Class 8 Mack vehicles for North America and export are assembled. The LR Electric is equipped with four NMC (nickel manganese cobalt oxide) lithium-ion batteries, charged by a 150 kW, SAE J1772-compliant charging system. The batteries provide vehicle propulsion, as well as power for all onboard accessories driven through 12, 24 and 600 V electric circuits.

To account for the LR Electric vehicle’s increasing load throughout the day, a three-mode regenerative braking system helps recapture the energy from the hundreds of stops the vehicle makes on a daily basis.

The Mack LR Electric may be fitted with equipment bodies from numerous manufacturers based on the unique needs of the customer. The same driver/passenger side driving configurations, as well as seating choices and door options, are offered in the LR Electric as on the diesel-powered Mack LR model.

Volvo’s VNR Electric is available in three configurations – a single-axle straight truck with a gross vehicle weight rating of 33,200 lb. and two tractor configurations – 4x2 with a 66,000 lb. gross combination weight rating (GCWR) and 6x2 with up to an 82,000 lb. GCWR in specific applications. The electric driveline is a fully integrated, Volvo proprietary solution, rated 339 kW (455 hp) and generating up to 4051 lb.ft. of torque. The truck incorporates a two-speed Volvo I-Shift transmission designed to deliver smooth and efficient acceleration with excellent startability and low-speed maneuverability, Volvo said.

The truck incorporates lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of 264 kWh, which provide the vehicle an operating range of up to 150 miles based on the configuration. The batteries can be charged up to 80% within 70 minutes, Volvo said, and regenerative braking can increase range by returning power up to 15% back into the battery, depending on the duty cycle.

Volvo recently began taking orders for an enhanced version of the VNR Electric that incorporates improved batteries that deliver up to a 40% increase in storage capacity and a dedicated Battery Thermal Management System (BTMS) to manage and maintain ideal temperatures. The vehicle is also available with a new six-battery package option that can provide an energy storage capacity of up to 565 kWh and an operational range of up to 275 miles.

Opened in 1980 by the Howard family and Jim Pollack, father of current Affinity Dealer Principal Kim Mesfin, the family-owned dealer also owns a dealership in Bakersfield, Calif.