Volta Trucks has revealed the forthcoming 7.5- and 12-tonne Volta Zero variants, the second product family in its full-electric vehicle range.
The 7.5- and 12-tonne Volta Zeros have been designed by Volta Trucks’ partner, Astheimer Design in Warwick, UK, alongside Volta Trucks’ own engineering teams. The new full-electric vehicles bear a close visual relationship to the larger 16-tonne vehicle which is now undergoing engineering development and testing ahead of customer evaluation during 2022. 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 tires, to accommodate the increased vehicle payload.
The 7.5-and 12-tonne models carry over the principles of the innovative cab and premium working environment for drivers, the company says. The vehicle’s ground-up design, without the traditional internal combustion engine, has enabled designers and engineers to completely rethink truck design in this segment. The driver of a Volta Zero has 220-degrees of direct vision around the vehicle.
Without the legacy internal combustion engine, the driver of a Volta Zero sits far lower than in a conventional truck, the company says. The driver can enter and exit the vehicle on either side, and through sliding rather than swinging doors.
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 make a significant contribution to the company’s objective to sell over 27,000 per year by 2025 and increasing in the years beyond, Volta Trucks says.
