Volvo, preparing for a future when the company may only sell electric vehicles, this weekend broke ground on the Volvo Car Americas Technical and Training Center in Mahwah.
The new facility, scheduled to open in March 2023, will enable the company to better support its network of retailers and their service technicians not only in the U.S., but also in Canada, Mexico and South America.
The center will house a multivehicle workshop and classrooms where service technicians will learn the latest diagnostic and service techniques for all Volvo cars, including plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles.
And, to further demonstrate its support of an all-electric vehicle future, Volvo is installing 50 EV chargers on the 20-acre site — a move company officials say will support the increasing number of employees and visitors driving plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles. The company’s goal is to eventually make the chargers available to the public, in line with its electrification ambitions.
Anders Gustafsson, senior vice president Americas and CEO and president, Volvo Car USA, said the company is all-in on EVs and New Jersey.
“We are so proud to be expanding our Volvo Car Americas footprint in Mahwah,” he said. “As we continue down the path to become the fastest transformer in the industry, this beautiful new facility anchored around sustainability will further train and educate our retailers and service technicians from across the region on our electrified future.”
U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-5th Dist.) said the facility will have huge impact in the state.
“With this new investment in North Jersey, hundreds of jobs will be created in our community over the coming years, helping Jersey residents and our local economy,” he said. “It will make North Jersey the center of Volvo’s EV training for the entire Western Hemisphere.”
Volvo Car USA has a long history in New Jersey.
The company’s first U.S. headquarters were established in Newark in 1956 before moving to Rockleigh in 1964. In 2001, Volvo relocated to Irvine, California, after being purchased by Ford Motor Co.’s Premier Automotive Group. Volvo returned to Rockleigh in 2008 and in 2020 relocated to a larger building near Route 17 in Mahwah, where it currently employs about 340 people.
Mahwah Mayor James Wysocki said the municipality is happy to have Volvo.
“We couldn’t ask for a better addition to the community,” he said. “The jobs and technology this new technical and training center will hold mean great things to come for our town.”
The center, in alignment with the company’s sustainability focus, is designed to be LEED Gold certified. It will feature a 15-kilowatt solar panel system, high efficiency HVAC and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a green building certification program used worldwide. It provides a framework for healthy, efficient, carbon- and cost-saving green buildings. The Volvo Car Americas headquarters building, located within the same campus, is also LEED Gold certified.
Construction of the technical and training center is being led by Bedminster-based Stone Creek Construction Group, which specializes in commercial, industrial and life science design-build projects in addition to offering preconstruction and construction management services.
Installation of the EV charging infrastructure will be led by Whippany-based Star-Lo Electric, an electrical contractor that specializing in commercial and industrial electrical construction projects throughout the state.
