Volta Trucks has revealed the forthcoming 7.5- and 12-tonne variants of its Zero electric truck line-up ahead of their arrival in 2025.
The new fully electric trucks will join the larger 16-tonne vehicle that’s currently undergoing engineering development and testing ahead of customer evaluation during 2022. The brand is also due to start production of its 18-tonne vehicle in mid-2023.
Designed by Volta Trucks’ UK partner Astheimer Design alongside its own engineering teams, the smaller models will be positioned as a second product family and complete the line-up.
The new arrivals are visually identical at the front to the 16-tonne vehicle, 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.
As with all Volta models, the new arrivals have been designed from scratch, doing away with conventional practices due to the switch to an electric powertrain. The driver gets a panoramic view of the surroundings through a glasshouse-style cab, designed to deliver a Transport for London five-star Direct Vision Standard rating for optimum visibility and the reduction of blind spots. The vehicles also use rear-view cameras to replace traditional mirrors, while a 360-degree birds-eye camera shows the driver their complete surroundings, and blind-sport warning systems detect objects down the sides of the vehicle – all significantly enhancing visibility.
The lack of an internal combustion engine means the driver sits far lower than in a conventional truck, with their eye-line at around 1.8 meters – mirroring the height of pedestrians and other road users nearby. The central driving position also enables the driver to enter and exit the vehicle on either side, always onto the pavement for their own safety, and through sliding rather than swinging doors to also ensure the safety of passing cyclists.
Volta also says the driving experience is more akin to a premium car than today’s traditional commercial vehicle.
A pilot fleet of the new vehicles is expected to launch for customer trials in 2024, with series production due to commence in early 2025.
Essa Al-Saleh, chief executive officer of Volta Trucks, said: “Our customers tell us that they really appreciate the safety and zero-emission attributes of the 16-tonne Volta Zero, but also need smaller 7.5- and 12-tonne vehicles in their operations. Our engineering teams are now scaling rapidly to be able to deliver all four vehicles at pace, as our customers ask of us.”
More details on the Zero line-up and Volta’s plans will be revealed by Van Fleet World shortly.
