Food Forward Inc., a nonprofit organization committed to alleviating hunger and reducing food waste, deployed a Volvo VNR Electric truck in Southern California to pick up commercial, private and agricultural food surplus throughout the region. Food Forward said it aims to address food insecurity by distributing surplus produce while decreasing its carbon footprint through the use of zero-tailpipe emission trucks in communities experiencing food insecurity.
In the United States, almost 40% of food produced goes unsold or uneaten, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Food Forward Inc. expects the Volvo VNR Electric to play a role its efforts to enable recovery and distribution of between 80,000 and 120,000 lbs. of surplus produce daily.

“Volvo Trucks is dedicated to providing a better, more sustainable future and decarbonizing transportation is a central pillar of that journey,” said Jared Ruiz, regional vice president – West, Volvo Trucks North America. “We are tremendously proud of the work that our battery-electric trucks are doing to decarbonize the industry, but even more compelling is the great work that Food Forward’s fleet is doing to help fight hunger and prevent food waste.”

Operating from Southern California, Food Forward said its fleet will use the Volvo VNR Electric truck to pick up commercial, private, and agricultural food surplus throughout the region that is then distributed to 13 counties in California, and seven additional states and tribal lands.

“Food insecurity and climate change are both global issues that are in many ways connected. Because of that, we must find sustainable solutions to address both issues,” Kristen Johnson, chief operating officer, Food Forward, said. “We have robust sustainability targets in our mission and transitioning to zero-emission vehicles is the next logical step to reduce our carbon footprint.”

Volvo said the VNR Electric was designed as a zero-tailpipe emission solution for fleet operators supporting local and regional distribution, pickup and delivery, and food and beverage distribution. The OEM said the six-battery pack configuration model has a 565 kWh capacity, enabling up to 275 miles of range on a single charge. Charging to 80% can be achieved in about 90 minutes, depending on a variety of factors, including distance traveled, route optimization and driver training, according to Volvo.

To support Food Forward’s electromobility journey, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) assisted in providing a grant through its Community Emission Reduction Grant Program (CERGP) to offset the costs of adopting electric trucks and infrastructure. TEC Equipment – La Mirada, a Volvo Trucks Certified Electric Vehicle Dealership, will service and maintain Food Forward’s Volvo VNR Electric truck. The dealership also provided training for Food Forward’s drivers to help them understand how to optimize the range of the Volvo VNR Electric, including how to leverage regenerative braking benefits to add power back to the battery.