Volta Trucks Partners With CPC Group On Composite Exterior Body Panels For Volta Zero Electric Truck
Volta Trucks says it will partner with Italian composites manufacturer CPC Group to develop and produce sustainable composite exterior panels for its Volta Zero, a three-seat vehicle Volta says is the world’s first purpose-built, fully electric 16-tonne (17.6-U.S.-ton) truck. Volta Trucks says CPC Group is a natural partner for its sustainability efforts by virtue of its 10-plus years of experience in the composites sector and its position as Europe’s leading composites manufacturer.
“The appointment of CPC Group as a strategic partner is very significant,” says Volta Trucks CEO Essa Al-Saleh. “We are on a journey together, not just in commercial partnership but in technological development as we jointly create the innovative, recycled, and natural composites of our sustainable future.”
More Than Tailpipe Emissions
A Volta Zero prototype was launched last September, and initial vehicle deliveries will begin this year. Volta Trucks developed the truck to reduce the environmental impact of freight deliveries in city centers. The manufacturer says Volta Zeros will eliminate roughly 1.2 million t (1.32 U.S. t) of carbon dioxide by 2025. The truck has a 150- to 200-kilometre (95- to 125-mile) driving range, a top speed of 90 km/h (56 mph), and an 8,600-kilogram (19,000-pound) maximum payload.
Volta Trucks says its sustainability efforts extend beyond tailpipe emissions; the company is also tightly focused on reducing the overall environmental impact of the vehicles, machines, and components it uses throughout its manufacturing and supply chain. Under the terms of Volta’s partnership with CPC Group, the companies will work together to develop and industrialise sustainable, recyclable composite materials in the quantities needed to support Volta Trucks’ long-term sales goals.
Full-Scale Production Next Year
The companies plan to start full-scale production on customer-specified vehicles by 2022’s end, leveraging composite materials in the body and trim.
“Volta Trucks will change the mobility of vehicles within the world, and I am personally glad to dedicate a considerable share of our new company capacity for this project,” says CPC Group CEO Franco Iorio. “By 2023, CPC will have the biggest composite capacity within Europe, not only in terms of pressing but also for final machining, bonding, and painting, and Volta Trucks will be an important part of the strategy.”
Source: Volta Trucks