Volta Trucks and DB Schenker complete first on−road test phase of the full−electric Volta Zero
Volta Trucks, the leading and disruptive full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services provider and DB Schenker, one of the world’s leading logistics service providers and the leader in European land transport, have together completed the first test phase of the full-electric Volta Zero in Europe. For the first time, a Design Verification prototype Volta Zero operated on roads and in real distribution environments in Paris.
In 2021, both companies confirmed an intense partnership and pre-order of nearly 1,500 full-electric Volta Zero vehicles – the largest order for medium-duty electrified trucks in Europe to date. The full-electric 16-tonne Volta Zero will be used in DB Schenker’s European terminals to transport goods from distribution hubs to the city centres and urban areas. This is where the vehicle’s innovative design, safety-oriented cab to protect vulnerable road users, and zero-tailpipe emission drivetrain will offer the greatest benefits.
Together, Volta Trucks and DB Schenker will explore the potential uses of the technology to expand the offering. The rollout will begin at 10 locations in five countries.
“Since the beginning of the cooperation between DB Schenker and Volta Trucks, we have been in close contact and continued to drive the development of the vehicle forward together,” says Cyrille Bonjean, Executive Vice President Land Transport at DB Schenker in Europe. “It was great to see the result live on the streets of Paris. It all started with an idea – now it’s a reality and we look forward to adding the first pilot vehicles to the fleet in Europe at the beginning of 2023.”
Essa Al-Saleh, Chief Executive Officer of Volta Trucks, continued: “When we announced Europe’s largest order of full-electric trucks with DB Schenker, we also entered into a partnership to work together to decarbonise urban logistics. The first use of a full-electric Volta Zero in a real-world testing environment is a significant proof point of the depth of the collaboration. To see Volta Zero vehicles operating on the streets in Paris is extremely exciting and is a great forerunner to us delivering significant volumes of customer trucks at scale in the near future.”
Editor’s notes.
About the Volta Zero.
The Volta Zero is the world’s first purpose-built full-electric 16-tonne vehicle designed for urban logistics, reducing the environmental impact of freight deliveries in city centres. Designed from the ground up with an operating pure-electric range of 150 – 200 kms (95 – 125 miles), the Volta Zero will eliminate an estimated 1.2M tonnes of CO2 by 2025.
Safety is also at the heart of Volta Trucks, with its ambition of producing the safest trucks for our cities. The Volta Zero was designed for electric from the outset, which facilitates a step-change in vehicle, driver and pedestrian safety. Thanks to the removal of the internal combustion engine, the operator of a Volta Zero sits in a central driving position, with a much lower seat height than a conventional truck. This combination, plus a glass house-style cab design, gives the driver a wide 220-degrees of visibility, minimising dangerous blind spots. The prototype Volta Zero was launched in September 2020, with the first vehicles expected to be operating with customers in late-2022.
In November 2021, Volta Trucks announced Europe’s largest purchase of full-electric trucks with DB Schenker’s order of 1,470 vehicles. This followed Petit Forestier’s order of 1,000 Volta Zeros. Volta Trucks now has a total order bank of around 6,500 vehicles, with an order bank value of circa €1.4 billion.
About Volta Trucks.
Volta Trucks is a scale-up full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services company. Volta Trucks’ Head Office is in Stockholm, Sweden, with its engineering led from the UK, and forthcoming manufacturing facility in Steyr, Austria. The company also has sales teams across France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, and the UK. Volta Trucks is partnering with a number of global leaders in the supply chain for the development and production of the Volta Zero, at speed and scale.
About DB Schenker.
With around 76,100 employees at more than 1,850 locations in over 130 countries, DB Schenker is one of the world’s leading logistics providers. The company operates land, air, and ocean transportation services, and it also offers comprehensive solutions for logistics and global supply chain management from a single source. In 2022, DB Schenker celebrates its 150th company anniversary. To In order to achieve its ambitious goal of climate neutrality by 2040, the logistics service provider is continuously investing in innovative transport solutions, renewable energy, and carbon-neutral products for its customers.
