Volta Trucks, the electric vehicle (EV) startup company focused on all-electric commercial trucks, has unveiled two new smaller models for urban last-mile deliveries. The 7.5-ton and 12-ton truck models will begin in production in 2025, according to the Stockholm-based startup.
Before public availability, the new models will be launched as fleet test vehicles in 2024. These new battery-electric trucks will eventually join the Volta Zero, the company’s 16-ton all-electric truck. The Zero is expected to enter production before the end of the year, with the 18-ton model following suit sometime in 2023.
Volta Trucks has raised around $247 million USD or nearly P12.9 billion to fund the launch and production of the Zero this year. The European Union (EU) has been stringent on steering away from combustion engine trucks, as some member countries have imposed bans on trucks over 7.5 tons on Sundays and holidays. In Amsterdam in the Netherlands, trucks exceeding 7.5 tons are not allowed in order to protect old bridges and heritage streets.
In France, Paris is planning to ban diesel-powered trucks in 2024. By all indications, the era of traditional trucks is coming to a close, and the world looks to EV makers old and new to produce emissions-free models to close the gap and transition to a more sustainable future.
Volta Trucks has accepted over 6,000 orders for its models. The startup plans to produce around 5,000 trucks in 2023, with production projected to rise to 27,000 by 2025. Battery-electric trucks are almost nonexistent in the Philippines, but that could change soon, as newly passed legislation has provided for a clear path forward for EVs.
Sooner or later, we’ll likely encounter a new breed of electric trucks patrolling the streets of the country. Could Volta Trucks take its urban models to the Philippine market? Chances are bleak, as the startup is currently focused on the European market, but anything is possible at this point.
