Volta trucks today announced that it has selected a single design concept for its upcoming 7.5- and 12-tonne trucks. With that, the vehicles can enter the engineering phase of development. Smaller than their 16-tonne sibling, the new trucks will be able to operate on Sundays in a number of European areas where the larger truck cannot. The new models will carry forward Volta’s distinctive cab concept, which places the driver in the middle of the truck and, according to the company, offers industry-leading visibility and safety standards.
The 7.5- and 12-tonne trucks will be
developed from the ground up, but Volta says that that will be accomplished at
a searing pace. Now that engineering has begun, a pilot fleet of vehicles is
expected to hit test tracks in 2023, with series production coming a year
later, in 2024. The two upcoming Volta trucks have been designed by the
company’s partner, Astheimer Design, which is based in Warwick, U.K. Similar to
the larger truck, the new design is being called evolutionary.
Earlier this year, Volta announced its
Road to Zero Emissions strategy, which will see the truck maker launch its
fully electric vehicles in Paris and London. Those markets will be followed by
Milan, Madrid, Randstad, and Germany’s Rhine Ruhr region. The automaker expects
the new trucks to help go from 14,000 sales per year in 2024 to 27,000 by 2025.
The 16-tonne Volta Zero entered production
in November. With a range of 153-201 km, it’s ideal for
companies that need to make deliveries within a city. The trucks help cut down
on local emissions and are simply quieter than diesel-powered alternatives.
