Volta Zero Is Taking the Trucking World by Storm, Prototype Chassis Ready to Go

Volta Zero was unveiled in September 2020, as an all-electric 16-ton freight truck, designed specifically for inner city logistics, as opposed to long distance interurban transport. Recently, the manufacturer announced that it has already developed the running prototype chassis of the new truck, and it plans to get the first customer-specification vehicles running by 2022. That’s fast.

According to the company, time is of the essence when it comes to climate change. So, instead of choosing the traditional route and allowing years for market assessment and vehicle development, Volta Trucks sped up the entire process to the max – 6 months to design and develop the prototype chassis, and 18 more months to go until the series production vehicles are rolled out.

Two of the most important elements of the first running chassis are the Proterra high-voltage battery and a Meritor compact eAxle, comprised of an integrated rear axle, electric motor and transmission unit. The Volta Zero truck will be the first commercial vehicle in Europe to integrate this type of innovative eAxle, for better range (up to 125 miles/200 km) and efficiency.

Intensive testing on proving grounds is what’s next for the prototype chassis, and that data will be used in the production process of a pilot fleet, by the end of this year. The vehicles will then be tested not only by the manufacturer’s engineers, but also by selected customers. Their feedback will then be integrated into the final production of commercial trucks. And all of this is set to be completed by the end of next year.

The Volta Zero demonstrator vehicle has already been successfully presented in Italy, Germany and, most recently, the UK. Besides providing an extensive range and improving driving safety thanks to the glass cab design which gives the driver much wider visibility, Volta Zero is also expected to cut 1.2 million tons of CO2 emissions by 2025.