Martin Brower Expands Volvo VNR Electric Fleet to Help Advance McDonald’s Global Net Zero GHG Emissions Goals in Canada

Volvo Trucks North America customer Martin Brower, a leading supply chain solutions provider for global restaurant chains, is taking delivery of ten additional Volvo VNR Electric vehicles that will support food and beverage deliveries to select McDonald’s restaurants in the greater Montreal and greater Toronto areas. As a key distributor for McDonald's global operations, Martin Brower has partnered with the restaurant leader to help reduce its carbon footprint in Canada with the expansion of alternative-fuel vehicles in Martin Brower’s supply chain fleet in two of its distribution centres. The battery-electric vehicles used for deliveries to select McDonald’s restaurants in the greater Montreal and greater Toronto areas will expand on the trial of the first zero-tailpipe emission tractor that was deployed in 2022 to Martin Brower’s Baie d’Urfé distribution centre to support deliveries to McDonald’s restaurants in the Montreal area.

“It’s exciting to see a powerhouse brand like McDonald’s working with their partners to help decarbonize the transportation of goods,” said Matthew Blackman, managing director for Canada, Volvo Trucks North America. “It’s a testament to the performance and reliability of the Volvo VNR Electric that these global leaders are choosing to scale their trial of battery-electric vehicles where feasible.”

The first Class 8 Volvo VNR Electric tractor to service McDonald’s restaurants in North America was part of a trial in the Montreal area, to assess the heavy-duty battery-electric vehicle’s ability to handle routine routes and large product loads. Following this initial trial, McDonald’s Canada and Martin Brower collaborated to deploy ten more Volvo VNR Electric vehicles. Seven of these vehicles will operate in the greater Toronto area, while the remaining three will be domiciled at the Montreal distribution centre in Baie-D'Urfé and operate in the greater Montreal area.

“After two years with the battery-electric Volvo VNR tractor on the road, we are pleased to see more electric vehicles added to the fleet serving McDonald’s restaurants in the trial areas, as we work towards our global pledge to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050” said Hope Bentley, head of supply chain, McDonald’s Canada. “Even though customers won’t notice any difference in their favourite order, McDonald’s is taking action behind the scenes to help make an impact in the communities we serve, for the planet we share.”

Martin Brower is a long-time service provider for McDonald’s, partnering since 1956 to deliver food and beverage products to founder Ray Kroc’s first restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois. Both companies have pledged objectives relating to GHG emissions reduction, with McDonald’s aiming to achieve net-zero GHG emissions globally by 2050 and Martin Brower targeting a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 from a 2018 baseline.

Martin Brower worked with Vision Truck Group, a local Volvo Trucks Certified Electric Vehicle Dealer, to spec the ideal truck configuration based on the routes and application monitored during the Montreal trial. Vision Truck Group utilized the Electric Performance Generator (EPG) tool to identify the preferred Volvo VNR Electric configurations for Martin Brower to best service McDonald’s restaurants in the test market. The EPG takes into consideration specific route details, including traffic patterns and environmental factors, such as terrain and ambient temperature. The electric vehicles based in the Baie d’Urfé distribution centre will be serviced by Camions Volvo Montreal, which assisted Martin Brower with its first 6x4 configuration Volvo VNR Electric tractor during the initial trial. The electric vehicles operating in the greater Toronto area will be serviced by Vision Truck Group. 

McDonald’s pledge to achieve net-zero GHG emissions globally by 2050 aligns with the initiative behind the Montreal trial, testing lower tailpipe emission vehicles with its supply chain partner, Martin Brower.