Volta Unveils New Full-Electric Truck Variants

Volta Trucks has revealed the forthcoming 7.5 and 12-tonne Volta Zero variants of its second product range of full-electric vehicles.

The 7.5 and 12-tonne Volta Zeros have been designed by Volta Trucks’ partner, Astheimer Design, alongside Volta Trucks’ own engineering teams. Volta notes that the new full-electric vehicles “bear a close but evolutionary visual relationship to the larger 16-tonne vehicle” which is now undergoing engineering development and testing ahead of customer evaluation in 2022.

Revealing the new 7.5 and 12-tonne vehicle range, Essa Al-Saleh, Chief Executive Officer of Volta Trucks, said: “The forthcoming 7.5 and 12-tonne models complete the full-electric Volta Zero product family. 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 which will start production in mid-2023.

“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”.

The 7.5 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 Volta Zeros give 220-degrees of direct vision around the vehicle 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 vehicle also comes with rear-view cameras that replace traditional mirrors, a 360-degree birds-eye camera showing the driver their surroundings, and blind-sport warning systems that detect objects down the sides of the vehicle. Without an internal combustion engine, the driver sits lower than in a conventional truck, with their eye-line at around 1.8 metres. A central driving position and sliding doors further allow the driver to enter and exit the vehicle on either side.

Volta state that the new 7.5 and 12-tonne Volta Zero will also “change the experience and workspace” for drivers to be more akin to a “premium car than today’s traditional commercial vehicle”. This is due to near-silent operations and minimised cognitive overload from an intuitive dashboard and interfaces.

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 commence in early 2025. The forthcoming 7.5 and 12-tonne vehicles will contribute to the company’s objective to sell over 27,000 per year by 2025 and increase in the years beyond.

Find more information about Volta Trucks and the new 7.5 and 12-tonne Volta Zero variants on its website.

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