Volta Zero Electric Truck Begins Real-World Testing

In many countries worldwide, authorities have deadlines when they want to see gas and diesel-powered vehicles eliminated from the market. Particularly in Europe, those deadlines are looming. Multiple companies are hard at work creating electric vehicles that fill all the specialized areas that combustion vehicles currently operate in.

One of those areas is large trucks for commercial deliveries, and a company called Volta Trucks has announced that it has begun real-world testing of its first Volta Zero prototype. The truck prototype being tested uses production components. Volta brags that its prototype vehicle was developed in only eight months, going from designs to an operating prototype.

Volta Zero is a fully electric 16-tonne commercial vehicle designed for logistics within cities. The prototype uses a production specification chassis frame and drivetrain. It's meant to test the electro-mechanical and thermal properties of the vehicle, including the high-voltage battery supplied by a third-party company called Proterra.

The prototype is also testing the rear axle, electric motor, and transmission eAxle units from a company called Meritor. While most of the components used in the prototype are production-spec, the truck's body is not and is only there to protect the test driver. The actual production vehicle will have a more traditional cargo box, while the prototype has a flatbed.

Volta will be testing the Zero over the coming months utilizing a program of testing and development that will also be utilized in future prototypes. The test regime includes cold-weather testing north of the Arctic Circle and warm weather testing in southern Europe. Volta plans to use what it learns in the testing program in its Pilot Fleet vehicles coming in the future. The company currently plans to enter full-scale production of Zero vehicles for customers by the end of 2022.