This is how the Volta Zero will appear. Final design unveiled, the e-truck is ready for production
Production of the first 25 Design Verification prototype vehicles is due to start shortly. These prototypes will embark on a comprehensive and rigorous testing regime, starting in early 2022, as previously announced. The same design principles will also be maintained into the forthcoming 7.5t, 12t and 18t variants.
Volta Trucks has revealed the final production-ready design of the Volta Zero, the electric truck conceived and developed for urban and regional distribution. The Volta Zero has been subjected to real-world trials in the UK. Besides, Volta Truck has recently announced that the production site for the European market will be the Steyr Automotive facility in Austria, former MAN Truck & Bus production location.
Astheimer Design: the collaboration with Volta Trucks
The Volta Zero final design was curated by Astheimer Design, located in Warwick, UK. Compared to the original demonstrator vehicle we’ve seen in Milan back in June (see the interview with Business Development Manager Carla Detrieux below), the final design confirms the low, central seating position thought to improve visibility and safety. Besides, all body panels have been redesigned and updated for the final design.
As stated by the company, the most notable, but still minor, visual changes include the removal of the horizontal frontal light bar, and the replacement of the diagonal interface between the cab and the cargo box with a vertical line, to improve vehicle construction efficiency. Internally, only the colour and material palette have changed, with the blond leather of the demonstrator being replaced with a more practical charcoal colour, and the teak wooden flooring superseded by a more hard-wearing rubber matting.
Production confirmed from the end of 2022
Production of the first 25 Design Verification prototype vehicles is due to start shortly. These prototypes will embark on a comprehensive and rigorous testing regime, starting in early 2022, as previously announced. The same design principles will also be maintained into the forthcoming 7.5t, 12t and 18t variants – the latter now being repositioned from its previous 19t gross weight. The first version to be produced from the end of next year will be the 16-tonne one.
«Working in close collaboration with Astheimer’s design team and our engineers, we have delivered a modern, progressive, and elegant design – exactly as an electric vehicle conceived from the ground up should be. The production ready Volta Zero delivers a paradigm shift in commercial vehicle safety and sustainability, and I look forward to seeing the vehicles on the road early next year as our rigorous testing programme starts», stated Ian Collins, Chief Product Officer of Volta Trucks.
