Volta Electric Trucks – Commercial Vehicles in a Sustainable Age

lorry charging

For Net Zero to be a success, large commercial vehicles that run on zero emissions will need to become a reality. Millions of tonnes are carried up and down the UK highways every year, and this obviously creates a lot of air pollution from the diesel powered vehicles. Volta electric trucks could be the solution that we have been searching for.

Who Are Volta?

Volta electric trucks is a multinational collaboration. Their registered offices are located in Stockholm in Sweden and also in the UK. The company has operations in both of these countries as well as in France, Spain, the Netherlands and Austria. Volta is also backed by a New York-based investment company, Luxor.

This new company was founded in Scandinavia in 2019 and was able to put together a pilot vehicle to show off their ability to the commercial vehicles market. By the end of 2020, an order for 1,000 refrigerated electric trucks had been ordered, and this is believed to be the largest European order of a large electric commercial vehicle.

Volta appeared to be a strong player in the EV world. Over the next three years the company was developing amazing technology with many great companies. This was a business that was going to make a huge splash in the world of commercial vehicles. Unfortunately, however, the company filed for bankruptcy in October 2023. However, the investment company, Luxor, bought the company and made a major investment. Volta is back for good… hopefully.

HGV on motorway

The Current Offering From Volta Electric Trucks

After rising from the flames like a phoenix, Volta have released the seriously impressive Volta Zero. Although this HGV may look like something from a science fiction feature film, this could well be the large commercial vehicle that breaks through the glass ceiling and becomes a common sight.

Large, beautifully designed and with a driver focused build, the Volta Zero is simply a stunning vehicle that has real operative practicability. So let’s have a closer look at the Volta Zero.

Performance – You Questions Answered

Something I am very sure you are likely to be thinking is what the performance of the Volta Zero is. Just how practical is it really? There are two different battery sizes available with this electric truck. The standard version comes with a 150kWh usable battery and the long range version comes with a 225kWh usable battery.

What this means in terms of range is that you can achieve around 99 miles on the standard sized version, while the long range version is able to give you somewhere in the region of 125 miles. Of course, we would all want some more range than this for logistic vehicles. However, the long range version in particular has a practical amount of range for the use of most businesses.

Speed is a statistic that carries less importance on these types of vehicle. However, it is always good to know. The Volta Zero has a maximum speed of 56 mph, which is not unheard of for an HGV on the roads.

convoy of lorries

The Volta Electric Trucks Driver Experience

Volta has made the Volta Zero with the driver in mind. Comfort, safety and security play a key role in the development of the truck, and we are mightily impressed.

Something that you will notice straight away, particularly because it is so unusual in any type of vehicle, is that the driver’s seat is in a central position in the cab, with two passenger seats set slightly back. This gives the driver superb vision of the road. Some of the features included are cabin preconditioning, touch screen vehicle controls, heated seats, low entry and heated seats for a start. A satellite navigation system also comes as standard.

With safety and security features, there is a lot to admire. Payload weighing, 360 degree camera, automatic headlamps, reversing camera, rear view camera and front & rear parking sensors all come as standard on both versions of the vehicle. This is absolutely fantastic.

Vivaro-e van

More to Know?

The Volta Zero is a whopping 16 tonnes of electric beast. Charging will take longer than the usual EV. With the ability to charge at speeds of up to 150kW, the Volta Zero can recharge in between 4 and 7 hours. A considerable amount of time to wait. However, it must be remembered that these electric HGV vehicles are in their infancy compared to cars, vans and pickup trucks.

Any technology or advancement that moves the EV cause forward should be celebrated. Although you may not want to use the Volta Zero for cross-country or international driving, they are perfect for inner-city use. For this, we applaud Volta. Confidence in the brand is pretty solid with a large number of the Volta Zero already on order.

 

*All information correct as of 16 May 2024

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