Volta Trucks Launches US Marketing Assault
UK electric truck company Volta Trucks has kicked off its assault on the US market with its first product display in the country.
The automaker has confirmed its trucks will be showcased at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo between May 1-4, as a launch pad for its marketing of trucks in the US from this year. The event, in Anaheim, California, is the world’s largest event dedicated to alternative-fuel commercial vehicles for vehicle manufacturers and commercial transport providers.
Volta Trucks will present a Class 7 Volta Zero (equivalent to the existing European 16-ton truck) design-verification prototype and its executives and product experts will be on hand to discuss the truck, as well as the company’s Truck-as-a-Service subscription model and vehicle charging. The truck will be joined by the company’s Class 6 vehicle in the first wave of marketing this year. Vehicles will be available with an ambient or refrigerated cargo box.
Volta Zero claims to be the first purpose-built all-electric medium-duty truck specifically designed for urban logistics. The ground-up design of the Volta Zero uses a compact eAxle, comprising the electric motor, transmission and axle all in one unit, supplied by Michigan’s Accelera by Cummins, and high-voltage batteries located within the chassis rails from California’s Proterra.
Later in the year, the automaker will launch a US Driving Experience Program for fleet operators to assess a pilot fleet of Volta Zeros in real distribution environments to understand how the delivery vehicles will integrate into their operations. A similar program is currently launching across six European countries. The US program will start on the west coast, ahead of a roll out of production vehicles expected in 2024.
Ahead of participation at ACT Expo, Chief Executive Officer of Volta Trucks, Essa Al-Saleh, said: “I’m delighted to be able to show the all-electric Volta Zero in the important US market, at ACT Expo in California. We’re building on the key learnings from our European launch, where we’ve developed at speed and scale, with deep understanding of our customers’ needs, to accelerate the transition to electric commercial vehicles and help decarbonize city centers. The US faces the same safety and sustainability issues we are addressing in Europe and is a significant market opportunity for us. This marks the start of our journey in the US, and we are excited to bring road-certified vehicles for US customers to evaluate later this year.”
— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in Europe. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_
