Volta Unveils First Production Zero Chassis, Brings Some New Moves To Commercial Market

UK-based startup Volta Trucks has been making some big moves in the commercial EV market, with the company making several recent moves that aim to bring its entry, the Volta Zero, into mass production. While the company has given us slices of the truck via prior sketches and images of early-stage prototypes, we have never seen anything about what lurks underneath the futuristic bodywork. The company has resolved that and has formally unveiled the first production version of the chassis that will underpin its lineup of Zero trucks.

 

New Zero Chassis Aims To Smash Segment Expectations

The chassis is designed to formally underpin Volta’s 16-ton entry into the commercial truck ranks. This chassis was designed to incorporate some of the production components that owners will see when they add a Volta into their commercial fleets. That includes the final production frame specification and the final drivetrain components that will be used to power the truck. 

The chassis also marks the next step in development for the truck, with Volta claiming that this latest underpinning will allow the truck to travel at normal speeds versus the slower speeds that would be required to help protect some of the prototype underpinnings (which are very fragile and delicate during the early stages of development.) Along with these aforementioned tweaks, this version of the chassis also comes equipped with a battery that will be supplied by the U.S. firm Proterra and a novel eAxle that Meritor developed. This axle, in particular, is important, with Volta reps claiming that the truck will be the first production rig in Europe to be offered with the technology. 

“The reveal of our first running prototype Volta Zero chassis is a major milestone on our journey to producing the first customer-specification vehicles in around 18 months’ time. The prototype will provide our designers and engineers with feedback and real-world data on the vehicle performance. The learning from the prototype will also feed into the Pilot Fleet vehicles that will support our customer’s understanding of the electrification of their fleets. But this is also a great example of the nimble and agile culture and approach we have at Volta Trucks. While traditional vehicle manufacturers take years to undertake market assessments, design processes and vehicle development, at Volta Trucks, we work at speed because we know that the world’s climate emergency cannot wait, and our customers need vehicles now. In six months, we have designed and developed a running prototype chassis and 18 months from now, we will be building series production vehicles for our customers. This is what they need, this is the speed they need us to work at, and this is what we’ll deliver.” 

 

Part Of A Broader Push Towards Expansion

The appearance of this chassis is also the fruit of a recent infusion of funding that Volta received back in January, with the company receiving an additional $20 million to help push its order book to $260 million. The demand for the firm’s truck was a lot higher than expected, and that pushed Volta to expand all aspects of its business. That included adding three new variants of the Volta Zero to try and expand their reach to other commercial sectors. 

Volta might be a relatively young EV company, but they have managed to impress a growing number of followers with some of the recent moves that they have made. The company revealed that between the infusion of cash in May and the unveiling of this chassis, they are still on track to begin production of the standard Zero variant by next year, with the other two variants.   

 

Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.

Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.

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