Volta Trucks has unveiled today its purpose-built all-electric Volta Zero electric truck, envisioned for inner city freight distribution.
It will be equipped with 160-200 kWh batteries (LFP chemistry) for up to 150-200 km (90-125 mi) of range. The key advantage of the proprietary EV truck is its efficient packaging, which allows it to take 16 euro pallets, 8.6 tonnes of payload and volume of 37.3 m3. Not bad for a 16-tonne truck.
The company hints also at an innovative electric drive for the rear wheels, which consists of an electric motor, transmission, and axle in a single lightweight and compact e-Axle unit.
Another specific thing is the central driving position, a glass house-style cab design for a wide 220-degrees of visibility and sliding doors on both sides.
Carsten Astheimer, Managing Director of Astheimer Design and lead-designer of the Volta Zero said:
“By removing the traditional internal combustion engine that has always sat high in the front of a truck, we had a clean sheet of paper to design the commercial vehicle suitable for the 21st century, rethinking the layout and design the truck and its cab. We had three main priorities for the design of the cab. We wanted it to be best in class for safety, ease and efficiency of ingress and egress, and the best driver environment of any truck on the market. With the Volta Zero, I can comfortably say that we have achieved that goal.”
During the first half of 2021 the company intends to launch trials with Europe’s largest logistics operators, including Bring and Posten in the Nordic markets. In total, the pilot fleet will consist of 12 units.
The production will start in 2022 in the UK (by an undisclosed contract manufacturer) with a goal to produce 500 customer vehicles by the end of 2022. First orders for the Volta Zero were already placed.
By 2025, the production output will be 5,000 per year and continue to increase beyond that.
"Production of the Volta Zero is due to commence in 2022 and investigations are ongoing to secure a contract manufacturing partner to assist with production. Production is anticipated to be in the UK. By the end of 2022, Volta Trucks aims to have built around 500 customer-specification vehicles, rising to 5,000 vehicles a year by 2025, and increasing thereafter."
See also
Gallery: Volta Zero
Volta Zero specs:
- Range: 150-200 km (90-125 mi)
- Battery size: 160-200 kWh (LFP chemistry)
- Euro Pallets load: 16, Volume: 37.3m3
- Loadspace: Height: 2,200 mm, Length: 6,900 mm, Width: 2,485 mm
- Max payload: 8.6 tonnes
- Gross vehicle weight (GVW): 16,000 kg
- Dimensions: Height: 3.47m, Length: 9.46m, Width: 2.55m
- central driving position (1 + 2 passenger seats on sides), much lower than in conventional trucks
- a glass house-style cab design for a wide 220-degrees of visibility, minimising dangerous blind spots
- sliding doors on both sides
- Max speed: 90 km/h (56 mph)
- rear-wheel drive
- e-Axle (single electric motor, transmission, and axle are contained in a lightweight and compact unit)