Volta Zero variants revealed

Electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services provider Volta Trucks has revealed the forthcoming 7.5-tonne and 12-tonne Volta Zero variants – the second product family in its full-EV range.

The new EVs are similar to the larger 16-tonne vehicle which is now undergoing extensive engineering development and testing ahead of customer evaluation during 2022.

The 7.5-tonne and 12-tonne vehicles will be visually identical at the front, with the 12-tonne vehicle having a longer chassis and body and a second set of rear wheels and tyres to accommodate the increased vehicle payload.

The two models carry over the principles of the innovative cab and premium working environment for drivers who have a wide 220-degrees of direct vision around the vehicle. This panoramic view of the surroundings through a glasshouse-style cab is designed to deliver a Transport for London five-star Direct Vision Standard rating for optimum visibility and the reduction of blind spots.

Protection of vulnerable road users is also enhanced through rear-view cameras replacing traditional mirrors, a 360-degree bird’s-eye camera showing the driver their complete surroundings, and blind-sport warning systems that detect objects down the vehicle’s sides.

The driver can enter and exit the vehicle on either side, always onto the pavements for their own safety, and through sliding rather than swinging doors to also ensure the safety of passing cyclists.

Both new Volta Zeros will change the experience and workspace for drivers. With near-silent operations and minimised cognitive overload, thanks to an intuitive dashboard and interfaces, the driving experience is more akin to a premium car than a traditional commercial vehicle, the company says.

Having confirmed the start of the project in December 2021, a pilot fleet of vehicles is expected to be launched for customer trials in 2024, with series production due to start early 2025.

The company’s objective is to sell more than 27,000 annually by 2025, increasing in following years.

“The forthcoming 7.5-tonne and 12-tonne models complete the full-electric Volta Zero product family,” says Volta Trucks chief executive Essa Al-Saleh.

“They’ll sit alongside our 16-tonne vehicle, that’s currently engaged in extensive testing ahead of the first customer use later this year, and the 18-tonne vehicle that will start production in mid-2023.”

The Volta Zero has about 150-200km range and will eliminate an estimated 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 by 2025.

In November 2021, Volta Trucks announced Europe’s largest purchase of full-electric trucks with DB Schenker’s order of 1470 vehicles. This followed Petit Forestier’s order of 1000 Volta Zeros.

Volta Trucks now has a total order bank of around 6000 vehicles.