Full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer Volta Trucks has completed its first Volta Zero vehicle at its contract manufacturing facility in Steyr in Austria.

The vehicle is the first of a series of second-generation ‘production verification’ prototypes and will form part of a pilot fleet of trucks. These will be loaned to customers for extended periods in late 2022 and early 2023 to enable fleet operators to understand how the first purpose-built full-electric medium-duty commercial vehicle will integrate into their operations. The start of series production of customer specification vehicles is on track to start in early 2023.

Volta Trucks’ contract manufacturing facility is run by Steyr Automotive (formerly MAN Truck and Bus Austria). Steyr Automotive was appointed in August 2021 following a tender and based on its experience in commercial vehicle manufacturing, existing infrastructure and consequent speed to market.

Steyr Automotive has reserved a capacity of 14,000 vehicles per year for Volta Trucks from its total available production. Over time, manufacturing the Volta Zero is expected to create 510 jobs, plus 180 jobs in the building of the cargo boxes, in addition to an estimated 2,000 positions within the supply chain. The manufacturing contract has a value of up to €1bn (US$986m) over its lifetime.

Kjell Walöen, co-founder and chief manufacturing and logistics officer of Volta Trucks, said, “This first vehicle rolling off the line at our manufacturing plant in Steyr is the latest significant milestone on the Volta Trucks journey toward the start of production of customers’ vehicles. To have achieved this significant landmark in just 12 months is a testament to the pace that we are working at to deliver the safest and most sustainable trucks to urban streets, and the excellent collaboration we have with our partners at Steyr Automotive. Their team has used generations of premium truck-building experience to deliver the first Volta Zero off the production line on time, and to the highest quality standards.”

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