Volta Trucks begins series production of 16-ton Volta Zero in Austria, deliveries to follow in Q3

Commercial EV startup Volta Trucks has achieved a pivotal milestone in its “Trucks as a Service” journey. The 16-ton Volta Zero truck has begun series production in Steyr, Austria, as the company begins a test drive program to educate customers and ensure quality before the first customer deliveries later this year.

Volta Trucks is a London-based commercial EV startup that began in 2019. During its relatively short run, the company has consistently progressed toward deliveries of its first commercial truck, the Volta Zero.

The Zero quite literally evolved from the drawing board to the assembly line in a mere twelve months, as reported by Electrek last fall. Even with such fast-paced commercial EV development, Volta has consistently relayed it remains on track to begin series production in Europe by Q2 of 2023. That milestone should eventually be followed by US manufacturing as well.

In March, Volta relayed it had received official certification for European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA) – allowing the startup to begin selling its electric trucks overseas as soon as production begins.

Volta Trucks has now confirmed that series production is underway, closing one chapter of development while simultaneously kicking off a new one that includes validation testing.

Volta Zero Truck production underway ahead of testing

According to a release from Volta Trucks this evening, the first series production vehicles designed to customer specifications have officially entered the assembly lines of contract manufacturer Steyr Automotive in Austria.

The company explains that this first batch of commercial EVs will be used for the Volta Zero Driving Experience Program – a test drive process where customers are loaned a production-specific Zero truck to explore how the technology will fit into their fleet’s operations.

The first trucks produced will also undergo rigorous quality assurance and testing before any are officially delivered to customers. Volta Trucks cofounder and chief manufacturing and logistics officer Kjell Walöen spoke about the startup’s production milestone:

The first full production Volta Zero going into the production line here at Steyr is the most substantial milestone the company has achieved to date. In just 2.5 years, less than half the time existing truck manufacturers take, we have moved from launching a concept, through the engineering, development and quality phases and now the start of production of the final specification models that will be driven by customers, making our urban environments safer and more sustainable. The industry-leading pace to market set by Volta Trucks is a true testament to the highly skilled and driven professionals in the company and our partners, and the whole team is extremely proud of this milestone moment.

This past January, Volta relayed that it had already secured customer orders for over 300 Zero Trucks, totaling $92 million in revenue when customer orders inevitably begin. Volta expects those initial deliveries to happen sometime in Q3 of this year.