Commercial EV manufacturer Volta Trucks has shared a roadmap outlining plans to bring its all-electric Zero trucks to the United States next year. Its strategy will include the 16-ton Volta Zero truck to begin, followed by Class 5 and 6 variants. Additionally, Volta Trucks is searching for a manufacturing partner on US soil to begin building the Zero trucks before year’s end.
Volta Trucks is a commercial EV startup offering “Trucks as a Service” (TaaS) founded in London in 2019. With additional offices in Sweden and France, Volta has been consistently working to deliver its flagship commercial truck, the Class 7 Volta Zero.
This 16-ton version of the Volta Zero was originally launched in 2020 and has since been followed by plans for three additional variations. The commercial manufacturer’s recent Series C funding round gathered €230 million to get the 16-ton Volta Zero Truck into production, but also included funds allocated toward development of the 7.5- and 12-ton variations as well.
Those smaller versions were recently unveiled and are scheduled to arrive to customers in 2025. In 2023, however, a larger, 18-ton version of the Volta Zero will join the original 16-ton model. With the company’s latest announcement, we have learned that Volta’s flagship Zero trucks will be arriving in the United States in 2023 as well, beginning in Los Angeles.
Volta Trucks to develop its own commercial EV network in US
Volta announced the news in a press release early this morning, laying out its roadmap for entry into the United States market as well as strategies for TaaS, maintenance, and local manufacturing. According to the automaker, US residents will see Volta Trucks operating on the streets of Los Angeles by the end of 2023.
US entry will begin with an initial pilot fleet of 100 Class 7 (16-ton) Volta Zero Trucks in the City of Angels, followed by a production rollout in 2024. The commercial EV manufacturer is currently road testing “design verification” prototypes of the 16-ton Zero in Europe and expects to have over 1,500 commercial EVs built overseas by the time it enters North America.
The Zero Truck already has some US-based DNA too. Its all-in-one motor/transmission/axle known as an eAxle is supplied by Meritor out of Michigan, while its high-voltage EV batteries come from Proterra in California. The company is currently searching for an experienced manufacturing partner stateside to expand its American-made components. Agreements are expected later this year.
To begin, the first Class 7 Volta Trucks to arrive in North America will come from the automaker’s current contract manufacturing facility in Steyr, Austria. However, all Class 5 and 6 Zero Trucks that will eventually be delivered in the United States will be built locally.
This US invasion doesn’t only consist of trucks either. Volta Trucks plans to bring its TaaS model to North America as well, offering fleet customers everything they need to electrify and charge their fleets for a monthly payment. Part of Volta’s strategy will mimic its approach in Europe, as it will implement “Hubs” that are logistically closer to customer fleet depots to ensure convenient EV service and maintenance.
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