Volta Trucks, a leading and disruptive fully-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services provider, has confirmed the first Volta Zero electric vehicle (EV) has been completed and rolled off the line at the company’s contract manufacturing facility in Steyr, Austria.
The landmark electric vehicle, the first of a series of second-generation ‘Production Verification’ prototypes, will form part of a pilot fleet of trucks. These will be loaned to customers for extended periods in late 2022 and early 2023.
This will allow fleet operators to understand how the first purpose-built full-electric medium-duty commercial vehicle will integrate into their operations. The start of series production of customer specification vehicles is on track to start in early 2023.
Volta Trucks’ contract manufacturing facility is run by Steyr Automotive, formerly MAN Truck and Bus Austria. Steyr Automotive was appointed in August 2021 following an extensive tender and based on their long experience in commercial vehicle manufacturing, existing infrastructure, and consequent speed to market.
Steyr Automotive has reserved a capacity of 14,000 vehicles per year for Volta Trucks from their total available production. Over time, manufacturing the Volta Zero will create 510 jobs, plus 180 jobs in the building of the cargo boxes, in addition to an estimated 2,000 positions within the supply chain. The manufacturing contract has a value of up to €1 billion over its lifetime.
Kjell Walöen, Volta Trucks Co-Founder and Chief Manufacturing and Logistics Officer, said: “This first vehicle rolling off the line at our manufacturing plant in Steyr is the latest significant milestone on the Volta Trucks journey towards the start of production of customers’ vehicles.
“TO HAVE ACHIEVED THIS SIGNIFICANT LANDMARK IN JUST 12 MONTHS IS A TESTAMENT TO THE PACE THAT WE ARE WORKING AT TO DELIVER THE SAFEST AND MOST SUSTAINABLE TRUCKS TO URBAN STREETS, AND THE EXCELLENT COLLABORATION WE HAVE WITH OUR PARTNERS AT STEYR AUTOMOTIVE.
“Their team has used generations of premium truck-building experience to deliver the first Volta Zero off the production line on time, and to the highest quality standards.”
Earlier this year, Volta revealed the forthcoming 7.5- and 12-tonne Volta Zero variants. These are the second product family in Volta’s lineup of electric vehicles. These new variants of the Volta Zero have been designed by Volta Trucks’ partner, Astheimer Design in Warwick in the UK alongside Volta Trucks’ own engineering teams.
A pilot fleet of the new vehicle variants is expected to be launched for customer trials in 2024, with series production due to commence in early 2025. The forthcoming 7.5- and 12-tonne vehicles will make a significant contribution to the company’s objective to sell over 27,000 per year by 2025 and increasing in the years beyond.
