Wisconsin-based Kriete Truck Centers recently completed training and facility upgrades at its Madison location to become the first Mack Trucks and Volvo Trucks Certified Electric Vehicle (EV) Dealer in the state.
CCJ on Monday toured Kriete's Sheboygan dealership. The dealership group also represents Volvo, Hino and Autocar among other equipment brands.
Kriete, headquartered in Milwaukee and family-owned for 72 years, operates 10 locations across Wisconsin and is working toward EV certification at its other sites. President & CEO David Kriete said customer demand would dictate the company's rollout, adding "as demand for EV support grows in a particular market, so, too, will our certification efforts."
Kriete-Madison will put into service locally two battery electric LR refuse trucks in the city by year's end.
Kriete-Madison has outfitted a dedicated service bay with the equipment needed to safely perform battery-electric truck maintenance and repairs, and the dealership has four technicians certified to work on the Volvo VNR and Mack LRe and MDe electric trucks, each outfitted with the personal protective equipment necessary to work with high-voltage systems.
Kriete will also maintain a stock of key parts and components for Volvo and Mack electric models to minimize service time.
Volvo and Mack Trucks Certified EV dealerships offer support to customers through the whole electromobility cycle: from a total cost of ownership analysis, funding, procurement, installment and overall operation. Dealership sales teams have access to a variety of route planning and connected technology tools designed to help customers maximize the performance capabilities and benefits of the zero-tailpipe emission Volvo VNR and Mack LRe and MDe models.
Mack's battery electric trucks, the electric MD and battery refuse truck LR Electric, are only available through its EV certified dealers and Kriete noted these trucks have been popular in their segments because they are a perfect fit in their application.
"Those are truly niches where demand is being served," he said. "Those are applications where electric can really work. It's not something the customer really has to stretch outside of what would be normal efficiency."
Mack currently has 37 EV certified dealerships, "with about twice as many in the backlog to become certified," Randall said.
