Stockholm-based electric vehicle startup Volta Trucks has begun to produce Design Verification prototypes of its UK-engineered, full-electric Volta Zero truck in Coventry. The custom facility will build 25 of the 16-tonne (17.6-U.S.-ton), zero-emissions vehicles to begin a thorough testing programme in January. A new factory in Steyr, Austria, is expected to start producing final prototypes for a Production Verification testing phase in mid-2022.
Volta Trucks designed the Zero to reduce the environmental impact of urban freight deliveries, as well as to improve vehicle, driver, and pedestrian safety. The manufacturer expects the truck to eliminate approximately 1.2 million tonnes (1.3 million U.S. tons) of CO2 emissions by 2025. The Volta Zero has an operating range of 150 to 200 kilometres (95 to 125 miles).
Accelerated Test Schedule
“In August, the first Volta Zero rolling chassis started testing, and we’ve already extracted huge amounts of data from that vehicle,” says Volta Trucks Chief Product Officer Ian Collins. “We now move into a rapid test-learn-iterate-develop phase. This is going to be far more condensed and intensive than a normal vehicle testing programme, given our ambitious timeline to start series production in a year’s time, that is driven by customers’ needs for zero-emission trucks.”
The DV testing programme will subject the Volta Zero to real-world customer usage models and delivery cycles. Some of the vehicles will undergo trials in the Arctic and equatorial regions, as well as in simulated crashes.
“This will take us to some of the hottest, coldest, and most extreme conditions in the world, all to ensure that the production specification vehicles that roll off the production line by the end of 2022 deliver the highest possible quality standards and exceed our customers’ expectations,” Collins says.
The Volta Zero
Designed specifically for city-centre logistics, the Zero will offer 8,600 kilograms (18,960 pounds) of payload capacity and 37.7 cubic metres (1,331 cubic feet) of loadspace. It will have a rear axle capacity of 11 t (12 U.S. t) and a front axle rated at 5 t (5.5 U.S. t). The Volta Zero’s top speed will be 90 km/h (56 mph). It will come with a 150-kilowatt-hour battery as standard, but a high-capacity, 225-kWh battery will be available.
Because the truck has no internal combustion engine, the driver can sit in the middle of the three-seat cabin with a significantly lower seat height. The Zero’s “glass house-style” cab affords the operator a 220-degree, 5-star Direct Vision (DVS)-rated view that shrinks blind spots and promotes safety on the street. The vehicle’s long list of safety technologies includes interior and side rearview cameras, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross traffic alert.
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Source: Volta Trucks