Volvo Car Canada and Dilawri open North America’s first VRSE facility

Volvo Car Canada and Dilawri open North America’s first VRSE facility

• Volvo Cars Richmond—formerly Volvo of Vancouver—has opened its doors in a new, state-of-the-art, LEED-Certified location at 338-10700 Cambie Road in Richmond, British Columbia.
• As North America’s first VRSE facility, Volvo Cars Richmond runs on renewable energy, and was built according to industry-leading environmental standards, with features including rooftop solar panels, an integrated green exterior wall, and eco-friendly building materials.
• VRSE locations are designed to be smart, resilient sites that are able to handle changing weather conditions while lowering energy costs and reducing environmental impacts throughout the production and construction processes.

RICHMOND HILL, ON (July 19, 2023) – Volvo Car Canada Ltd., the leader in automotive safety and sustainability, and Dilawri, Canada’s largest automotive group, are proud to announce the opening of North America’s first Volvo Retail Sustainable Experience (VRSE) facility, Volvo Cars Richmond, at 338-10700 Cambie Road in Richmond, BC.

Formerly Volvo of Vancouver, the new location reflects the brands’ shared commitment to sustainability: it is LEED-certified, runs on renewable energy sources, and includes a wide array of environmentally friendly features, from rooftop solar panels to sustainable building materials. The 20,383.4 sq-ft store is situated on a prominent 2.1-acre site, just off the Vancouver-Blaine Highway (Highway 99) and a ten-minute drive from Vancouver International Airport.

“Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do,” said Matt Girgis, Managing Director, Volvo Car Canada Ltd. “This new retail facility is a true reflection of the ambitious steps we are taking to support a greener, electrified future for all. Congratulations to Ajay and team on the opening of this beautiful, eco-friendly facility.”

In line with VRSE standards, Volvo Cars Richmond is fully equipped to serve electric (EV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) customers, with AC and DC fast-charging charging stations. Like the rest of the facility, the chargers are powered by a combination of hydro-electric energy from the grid and solar energy, which is generated directly on site.

“We could not be more pleased to have opened North America’s first Volvo Retail Sustainable Experience facility,” said Ajay Dilawri, Dilawri Co-founder. “At every stage, we met or exceeded provincial standards for environmental sustainability, and have built a store that reflects our ongoing commitment to deliver unparalleled customer satisfaction through continuous innovation.”

On the sales side, visitors will be able to browse the latest lineup in the full-service, six-vehicle showroom, and will take possession in a dedicated new-vehicle delivery bay. Nine cutting-edge service bays and two wash bays will ensure thorough, efficient service appointments. In addition, the dealership is ready to welcome visitors in sustainable comfort, with furniture and flooring made from recycled, non-toxic materials and a VRSE clean water and coffee bar that provides beverages in ways that eliminate the use of single-use plastics. 

“The new Volvo Cars Richmond location reflects the commitment to quality, sustainability, and innovation that resonates so deeply with our customers,” said Jesse Parker, General Manager of Volvo Cars Richmond. “We’re looking forward to welcoming visitors to this impressive new facility, which boasts a warm design as well as a broad array of environmentally friendly features, from EV chargers and a living exterior green wall, to our clean water and coffee bar.”

Other sustainability highlights include permeable pavers, to help control water runoff, Solera® insulated curtain wall panels, automated building systems (i.e., lighting and HVAC), and LED lighting.

About Volvo Retail Sustainable Experience Locations

Volvo Retail Sustainable Experience (VRSE) locations reflect the automotive brand’s commitment to improving the sustainability of its products and retail locations. This holistic approach takes into consideration production and optimization of resources (e.g., energy, water, and electricity), as well as the conditions under which products and materials are created and their quality and lifecycle. The overall goal of the VRSE approach is to make it as easy as possible to choose to invest in and create sites that are able to handle changing weather, while lowering energy costs.

Aesthetically, VRSE facilities reflect the brand’s Scandinavian heritage through the quality of materials used, as well as with look and feel.

About Volvo Car Canada Ltd.

Volvo Car Canada Ltd. is a subsidiary of Volvo Car Group of Gothenburg, Sweden. VCCL provides marketing, sales, parts, service, technology, and training support to the 38 Volvo automobile retailers across Canada. For more information, please refer to the VCCL media site: media.volvocars.com/ca.

About Dilawri

Privately owned and operated since 1985, today Dilawri continues to build on its history of excellence as Canada’s largest automotive group. The company is proud to offer exceptional products and customer service, delivered by more than 3,500 employees. Dilawri’s national network represents 37 of the world’s most beloved automotive brands at 80 franchised dealerships in Canada and the United States.

Dilawri is committed to leadership in the communities it serves as well as in business. Since 2002, the Dilawri Foundation has contributed millions of dollars to a wide range of charitable causes.

To learn more about Dilawri, visit dilawri.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Lucas Dias, Corporate Communications Manager, Volvo Car Canada lucas.dias@volvocars.com

Virginie Aubert, VP, Marketing & Communications, Dilawri, vaubert@dilawri.ca