Volta Trucks has announced it will enter the North American market, after having established itself as a leading European full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services provider.
Per its roadmap, it plans to have its first Volta Zero vehicles operating on the streets of Los Angeles by the end of 2023. Ahead of its North American deployment, Volta said it expects to have over 1,500 full-electric Class 7 trucks for its European customers.
Volta Trucks announced that it will begin its electrification of North American roads with a pilot fleet of 100 Class 7 trucks in mid-2023 that will be evaluated by customers in Los Angeles, with additional American cities to follow before the full roll out of production vehicles in 2024.
Currently, there are 24 ‘Design Verification’ prototypes built by Volta undergoing a rigorous and extensive testing program in Europe.
Said Carl-Magnus Norden, founder of Volta Trucks at the recently held ACT Expo in Long Beach, California: “Since the launch of Volta Trucks in 2019 and the reveal of the Volta Zero in September 2020, we have used London, Paris, and other European launch cities, where fleets are increasingly converting to electric, to prove that our concepts align to customers’ needs.
“With more than 6,000 vehicle pre-orders in hand, from some of Europe’s largest fleet operators, it is time to expand our geographic horizons and look towards the significant market opportunity in North America,” he continued.
“I believe our full-electric truck will be perfectly suited to the US customer’s needs, and we look forward to engaging customers to gain feedback on our product and services, then testing and learning as we look to exceed their expectations. I am looking forward to meeting some of North America’s largest fleet customers and introducing them to our full-electric Class 7,” explained Norden.
Specifications:
The lead-in to the North American market will be done via its Volta Zero Class 7 truck—similar to a European 16-ton truck, with a dry or refrigerated cargo box. The Volta Zero is a purpose-built 100 percent battery-electric medium-duty truck specifically designed for urban logistics.
The Volta Zero uses a compact eAxle, consisting of an electric motor, transmission, and axle all in a single unit supplied by Meritor, Inc. of Troy, Michigan. Its high-voltage batteries are placed within the chassis rails—Volta said it’s the safest location—and is supplied by Proterra, Inc. of Burlingame, California.
As a vehicle specifically designed for urban logistics, the Class 7 Volta Zero will offer a modular battery configuration to deliver a range of 95–125 miles, which it expects to be more than adequate for downtown distribution routes.
The vehicle is designed to accept both AC and DC 250 kW fast charging, which delivers a full charge from empty in just over an hour. Alternatively, one hour of 19 kW AC standard charging will add around 12 miles of driving range.
Why An Electric Fleet?
Per Volta Trucks: although commercial vehicles compose a small portion of city traffic, the vehicles are, historically, been involved in a disproportionate number of accidents with vulnerable road users.
Without the traditional internal combustion engine, Volta Trucks and Astheimer Design of Warwick, England, UK, have reconfigured the entire driving experience to lower and centrally mount the driver’s seat so the driver can see pedestrians and cyclists at eye level.
The Volta Zero’s glasshouse-style cab also provides a 220-degree view around the vehicle, for optimum driver visual awareness and blind-spot reduction.
With the center-placed driving seat, drivers may enter and exit on either side, always onto the sidewalk for their own safety, and through sliding doors—not swinging doors—for cyclist safety.
The 33,000 lbs. Class 7 Volta Zero introduction will be closely followed by a Class 5 vehicle of 19,500lbs., and a Class 6 truck of 26,000lbs., equivalent to the European 7.5- and 12-ton vehicles, in 2024/2025. All Class vehicles will look similar to the Class 7 Volta Zero.
The Class 5 and Class 6 trucks will be identical to each other from the front, with the Class 6 vehicle having a longer chassis and body, and a second set of rear wheels and tires, to accommodate the increased vehicle payload.
The first Class 7 vehicles delivered to the US will be built at the company’s existing contract manufacturing facility in Steyr, Austria, to ensure the quality of the first US vehicles. However, all Class 5 and Class 6 vehicles for North America are expected to be built in the US, starting in 2024/25.
Volta Truck Service
Transition to electrification can be a complex issue for fleet operators.
To aid, Volta Trucks will offer its Truck as Service proposition, a one-stop-shop that takes all of the elements needed to electrify a truck fleet, and brings them into a single offering and monthly payment.
The company stated it will develop its own ‘Volta Trucks Hubs’ for vehicle service and maintenance, located close to customer logistics centers to maximize uptime and convenience.
It said it would also develop an extensive network of third-party facilities to increase the geographic coverage of service and maintenance outlets.
Volta Trucks is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, with its engineering led from the UK, and forthcoming manufacturing facility in Steyr, Austria. Company information is available at https://voltatrucks.com.