Volta’s first prototype electric truck is planned to be revealed summer 2020.
UK firm Magtec is to design and make the drive system for Swedish startup Volta’s first prototype electric truck.
Volta trucks will be custom-made according to order requirements and be offered to customers using a ‘Truck-as-a-Service’ rental model. Street pilots will be carried out in partnership with selected retailers in London and Paris in 2021.
Magtec has a long history of developing drive systems for world-class electric vehicles starting with an electric bus scheme in the USA in 1999. Since then, the company has worked extensively with OEM, Tier 1 commercial suppliers across the world on specialist vehicle installations.
Other industry partners in the project include motorsport and advanced technology consultancy Prodrive, transportation design agency Astheimer and technology and design studio, Conjure.
Carl-Magnus Norden, CEO and Founder of Volta Trucks said, “Our business is based on co-creation and collaboration with some of the brightest minds of our industry. Doing this is essential to succeed with our goal of moving as fast as we can to reduce air and sound pollution on our roads, while increasing the safety of drivers, pedestrians and cyclists alike.
“With Magtec onboard we feel confident that this will help make our trucks road-ready at the pace we see necessary to meet the current, urgent needs of the cities and the people living within them. Until now, the HGV industry has been dominated by a few major players. With Magtec joining our other partners Prodrive, Conjure and Astheimer we now have a world-class lineup of experts working on this project and together we will be able to deliver on our promise to bring sustainability and safety to cities across Europe and beyond.”
Andrew Gilligan, UK managing director of Magtec said, “This is a very exciting time for Magtec with our company involved in pioneering work across the world. Public opinion, business requirements and environmental bodies are driving change across all transportation sectors. Magtec is perfectly positioned to meet the needs of these markets by rolling out class-leading technology developed by our team over the past 20 years.”
