DPD has completed a series of engineering tests with the fully electric Volta Zero at its Hinckley Superhub in Leicestershire, UK as part of wider beta trials for the new 16-tonne vehicle.
DPD’s drivers were accompanied by Volta Trucks engineers and qualified drivers and, although no parcels were on board, the design verification prototype truck was tested on a range of pre-determined routes including motorways, A-roads and urban centers.
Olly Craughan, head of sustainability at DPD, commented, “It was fantastic to get our hands on a Volta Zero and put it through its paces, with our own drivers alongside Volta Trucks’ engineers. We had the truck for five days and it is very impressive. The beta trials are an opportunity for us to test the vehicle first hand while helping Volta Trucks see exactly how it performs in real-life scenarios and on typical routes.
“Working with the Volta Trucks team in the cab gave us a great insight into what they are doing and how the truck could fit into the fleet. Increasingly we are operating in low- or zero-emission zones in major cities, so with micro-depots and all-electric city-center van fleets we have already transformed our urban delivery strategy. But there is a real need for bigger, green vehicles that can fit into that strategy.”
The Volta Zero has been designed for urban logistics. With an operating pure-electric range of 153-200km, the truck is designed to reduce the environmental impact of freight deliveries in city centers.
According to Volta, the truck has been designed from the ground up with vehicle, driver and pedestrian safety in mind. The combination of a central driving position with a much lower seat height and the glass-house-style cab design gives the driver a wide 220° of visibility, minimizing dangerous blind spots.
The beta trials are part of Volta’s test and development program and a key step toward the start of customer production in early 2023.