Volta Trucks, a full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer, has selected Proterra, a provider of commercial vehicle electrification technology, as the battery supplier for the Volta Zero, the company announced Feb. 18. The Volta Zero is a purpose-built, full-electric 16-ton commercial vehicle designed specifically for inner city freight distribution.

This contract completes Volta Trucks’s strategic sourcing of the electric powertrain. Volta Zero vehicles are scheduled to start customer trials later in 2021, with tens of thousands of trucks expected on the roads soon after series production starts around 12 months later.

The Proterra-supplied battery will give the Volta Zero a real-world range of 124 miles on a single charge, according to the announcement. This distance is more than enough for most inner-city logistics and distribution vehicles which spend most of their operating time in slow-moving stary/stop traffic. The Proterra battery pack's customizable design allows the battery in the Volta Zero to sit between the chassis rails – its safest possible location for the design, according to the company.

“Embracing clean, quiet transportation for all not only benefits how we move people around cities and towns, but also how we provide goods and services to the communities we live in,” saidJack Allen, Proterra CEO. “We are accelerating the transition to 100% clean transportation and delivering Proterra Powered clean energy vehicles to communities across Europe.”

The collaboration represents U.S.-based Proterra’s entry into the European truck market. Proterra’s battery technology has been proven over 17 million miles driven by its own transit vehicles and has also been chosen by other commercial vehicle manufacturers to electrify delivery vans, school buses, coaches, low-floor shuttles, and construction equipment.

Proterra batteries feature passive and active safety features, liquid thermal conditioning, and adhere to functional safety standards, including ISO 26262 (up to ASIL C). The Proterra battery is designed to deliver over 4,000 recharge cycles over 10 years, without significant degradation, to ensure the longevity of the vehicle.