DB Schenker and electric commercial vehicle manufacturer Volta Trucks have confirmed an intensive partnership and pre-order of nearly 1,500 full-electric Volta Zero vehicles.
As part of the partnership, DB Schenker will use the first prototype of Volta Zero Trucks in real distribution conditions in Spring and Summer 2022. The findings from these tests will be incorporated into the serial production of 1,470 vehicles built at Volta Trucks’ facility in Austria. Volta Trucks is also partnering with other providers for the development and production of the Volta Zero.
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. 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 five countries.
The partnership will also jointly develop specifications for the previously announced 12-tonne Volta Zero variant. According to DB Schenker, 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. It features a pure-electric range of 150 to 200 km (between 95 and 125 miles), and it has been estimated that the Volta Zero will eliminate about 1.2m tonnes of CO2 by 2025.
Cyrille Bonjean, Executive Vice President Land Transport at DB Schenker in Europe, said: “We have many challenges to overcome on the road to carbon neutrality. The large-scale partnership with Volta Trucks allows us to significantly increase the pace of electrification of our fleet and invest in greener transport solutions.”
Source: DB Schenker
