Warner & Kaine Applaud Announcement of Federal Funding to Upgrade Volvo Operations in New River Valley

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) applauded an announcement from the Department of Energy that Mack and Volvo Trucks will be awarded over $208 million in federal funding through the Domestic Manufacturing Conversion Grant Program. The funding was made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, which the senators voted to pass. The funding will upgrade operations, sustain 7,900 union jobs, and create 295 new jobs in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. In Virginia, it will support electric heavy-duty vehicle production at Volvo’s New River Valley (NRV) truck manufacturing facility by creating a mixed model assembly line. Warner and Kaine wrote a letter in support of Mack and Volvo Trucks’ application earlier this year.

“I am thrilled to see today’s announcement investing in the domestic manufacturing of clean vehicles. This funding, courtesy of the Inflation Reduction Act I was proud to help pass, will help transform Volvo’s work in the New River Valley, bringing jobs to the region and boosting the local economy,” said Warner. “This funding will also continue to bring American manufacturing into the 21st century by boosting the production of electric heavy-duty vehicles and the necessary infrastructure to support these vehicles.”

“The Inflation Reduction Act, which we passed in the Senate by one vote, made historic investments to increase domestic manufacturing of electric vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help ensure clean air for generations to come,” said Kaine. “And now those investments are coming to Volvo Trucks to expand its operations in the New River Valley. I was glad to visit Volvo’s Dublin plant last year to see the hard work of the facility’s employees and test drive an electric truck. I’m thrilled to see how this investment will create jobs, expand the facility’s capacity and production, and boost economic growth in the region.”

NRV is the largest Volvo Trucks manufacturing facility in the world. Volvo Trucks is the second largest employer in the New River Valley, sustaining 3,600 jobs in Dublin, including 3,200 United Automobile Workers (UAW) jobs. In April 2023, Kaine toured the Volvo Trucks NRV facility in Dublin, met with employees, and drove a Volvo VNR Electric truck.

The Inflation Reduction Act provided $2 billion in grants for the Domestic Manufacturing Conversion Grant Program to increase domestic production of efficient hybrid, plug-in electric hybrid, plug-in electric drive, and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.

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