Volvo Trucks North America isn’t letting the COVID-19-related drop in truck sales and corporate layoffs keep it from moving ahead with its electric truck development and its latest vocational truck models.

In a virtual press conference July 16, Magnus Koeck, vice president of strategy, marketing and brand management, called these “extraordinary times.”

“When we met at [the North American Commercial Vehicle Show] in Atlanta last year, we all knew then the market was going to come down in 2020, that is part of the business cycle. We had all planned for that. What we didn’t plan for was the COVID situation,” he said.

Normally, he noted, Volvo announces a market forecast after each quarterly report, but there’s just too much uncertainty to do that now.

Overall inventory of trucks, he noted, has come significantly from pretty much record levels, do about a three, three-and-a-half month supply. As states and businesses started reopening in May and June, he said, “retail sales and registrations have come up a little stronger than most have expected, and so have orders.”

However, he pointed to recent developments with some states pulling back on re-openings in response to a spike in coronavirus cases. Although we haven’t seen a return to total lockdown, he said, those pullbacks “will have an immediate effect on transportation.” For instance, he said, retailers may pull back on restocking inventory if it looks like in-person shopping is going to take another hit.

“I think we have and will see a positive momentum,” Koeck said. “We know the third and fourth quarters will be stronger than the second quarter, and believe next year will be stronger still. But it’s too early to tell how much.”

Volvo’s COVID-19 Response

Koeck outlined some of the responses Volvo has had to the pandemic and the resulting virtual shutdown of the nation’s economy. The company had to stop production for several weeks^[1], and Volvo globally had to lay off 4,100 people, including Volvo Trucks North America’s “fair share of that.”

Most people in Volvo’s Greensboro, North Carolina, headquarters are still working from home – including the Uptime Center^[2], which has seamlessly provided the same 24/7 support to customers as before, he said.

For customers, Volvo recently announced it was extending uptime service subscriptions^[3] for free until the end of the year. “Our financial company also helped out^[4] in this situation when customers have had difficulties,” he said.

Virtual Truck Walk-Arounds

For customers taking delivery of new trucks, the pilot truck walkarounds normally conducted in the Volvo Trucks Customer Center in Dublin, Virginia, have gone virtual. The virtual walk-arounds are also being used for potential customers and dealers to get a high-definition look at the design and engineering details of truck models. 

In this immersive visual experience for those looking for an up-close review of a Volvo truck, customers get a first-hand look at truck details and the opportunity to provide input, even making requests or changes to their specification.

While product experts present features and advantages of the truck, live images are shared from a high-definition webcam showcasing the truck’s exterior and interior, as well as providing close-up undercarriage, powertrain, and suspension views that are very difficult to see in person – an advantage that likely will continue to be used even once in-person visits resume.