DB Schenker, one of the world’s leading logistics service providers, and full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer Volta Trucks have confirmed an intensive partnership and pre-order of nearly 1,500 full-electric Volta Zero vehicles.
This is the most significant order for large zero-emission trucks in Europe to date.
It is said that the large-scale partnership with Volta Trucks will allows DB-Schenker to significantly increase the pace of electrification of their fleet and invest in greener transport solutions, brings the company closer to their goal of carbon neutral logistics.
As part of the partnership, DB Schenker will use the first prototype of Volta Zero Trucks in real distribution conditions in spring and summer of 2022.
The findings from these tests will be incorporated into the serial production of 1,470 vehicles built at Volta Trucks’ new contract manufacturing facility in Steyr, Austria.
The full-electric 16-tonne Volta Zero is 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-emission drivetrain offer the greatest benefits. Together, DB Schenker and Volta Trucks will explore the potential uses of the technology to potentially expand the offering. The rollout will begin at 10 locations in 5 countries.
The partnership will also jointly develop specifications for the previously announced 12-tonne Volta Zero variant, conducting site testing to accelerate vehicle deployment of vehicles, and train drivers.
The Volta Zero is the world’s first purpose-built full-electric 16-tonne vehicle designed specifically for inner-city logistics, reducing the environmental impact of freight deliveries in urban centres.
Designed from the ground up with a pure-electric range of 150 to 200 km, the Volta Zero will eliminate an estimated 1.2 million 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, along with the glasshouse-style cabin design, provides the driver with a wide 220-degree field of visibility, minimising dangerous blind spots.
The prototype Volta Zero was launched in September 2020, and the first vehicles are expected to be operating with customers in mid-2022.
