Volta Trucks, a London-based commercial EV startup, has announced that it has received certification from the European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA), allowing the company to produce and sell its all-electric trucks in volume throughout Europe. The 16-ton version of the Volta Zero, the company’s first commercial truck, has met the stringent environmental, safety, and security standards required for the certification, paving the way for the start of series production in Europe by Q2 of 2023.
The Zero, which was originally a mere concept drawing, has undergone prototype testing in extreme conditions and has gone from drawing board to assembly line in a record-breaking twelve months. Despite the rapid pace of development, the company has remained on track with its timeline and already secured customer orders for over 300 Zero Trucks, pending the necessary certification to proceed.
See also: The Volta Zero electric truck is tested under extreme heat of up to 39 degrees Celsius
Essa Al-Saleh, CEO of Volta Trucks, said, “Receiving the European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval is a huge milestone for Volta Trucks and our mission to make city center streets safer and more sustainable for all. We’ve developed a completely new vehicle from the ground up, and it’s a testament to our engineering and developments teams that the Volta Zero has passed these stringent and demanding tests so quickly. We are now all set for the start of Series Production at our manufacturing facility in Steyr, Austria, to put trucks into the hands of our customers and start the work of delivering on our mission.”
In addition to preparing for series production, Volta Trucks is also set to deliver its second-generation “production verification” prototypes to several customers in Europe as part of a pilot fleet of EVs. These verification trucks will be loaned to customers for extended periods so they can fully understand how the medium-duty, electric trucks can be integrated into their operations.
With the necessary certification now in place, Volta Trucks is well on its way to realizing its goal of delivering electric trucks as a service, making the streets of Europe safer and more sustainable for all. The first Volta Zeros for customers are set to begin rolling off the line at the manufacturing facility in Steyr, Austria, in early Q2 2023.
