Gateway Truck & Refrigeration has completed the training and facility upgrades to become the first Volvo Trucks Certified Electric Vehicle Dealership in Illinois.
Gateway has been in business for more than 30 years and operates two Volvo Trucks dealership locations in Collinsville, Ill., and Wright City, Mo. The Collinsville location is Gateway’s headquarters and was chosen as the first location to certify due to its proximity to the St. Louis market.
Given the anticipated market demand for battery-electric trucks, Gateway is designing and building a new facility west of St. Louis that will support battery-electric trucks and will be its second Volvo Truck Certified EV Dealership.
“It’s exciting to see Gateway Truck & Refrigeration committed to building a new facility purposely designed to support battery-electric trucks, a telltale sign that the market is anticipated to grow significantly in the coming years,” says Jeremy Taylor, regional vice president, central region, for Volvo Trucks North America.
Gateway has already sold 46 Volvo VNR Electric trucks, with 10 having been delivered to its customer Quality Custom Distribution (QCD). Those trucks have been deployed in QCD’s Southern California fleet operations delivering products to restaurants and coffee shops. QCD’s remaining 35 Volvo VNR Electric trucks will be built and delivered throughout 2023 and 2024.
Gateway also worked with customer Artur Express, a nationwide transportation and logistics company, to deploy the first Volvo VNR Electric truck domiciled in the central region, with a home base in St. Louis.
Volvo Trucks Certified EV dealerships support customers throughout the entire electromobility cycle, from a total cost of ownership analysis, funding, procurement, installation and overall operations.
Gateway has four technicians at its Collinsville location who are certified to work on the Volvo VNR Electric and have been outfitted with the personal protective equipment necessary to work with high-voltage systems. Certification also includes investments in diagnostics tools, so Gateway has outfitted one dedicated service bay with the equipment needed to safely perform battery-electric truck maintenance and repairs.