Surprise! Volta Trucks plans to manufacture its electric truck in Spain – news – Híbridos y Eléctricos

Volta Trucks has officially announced that it is studying the possibility of manufacturing its Volta Zero electric truck in Spain. The location chosen could be Barcelona, ​​although it has not yet been determined and there are other options on the table.

The Swedish company has already officially expressed an interest in the Decarbonisation Hub project within the previous project Nissan installations in the Barcelona Free Zone. Barcelona is one of the options being considered for manufacturing Volta Zero, along with other possible locations in Europe and the UK.

“We have researched and assessed a number of European partners and facilities for several months, and are narrowing the field to a small group of finalists.” Kjell Waloen, Technology Director at Volta Trucks, said that manufacturing Volta Zero in Spain could be an interesting thing to supply southern European cities, where Decarbonization of commercial vehicles is a growing priority.

The Swedish company described it as “interesting” that it had set up in Spain to manufacture its electric truck and ensured that It will conclude its investigation “soon.”. The company expects its first cars to start working with customers later this year, so the final decision on the plant’s location is due to be announced in the coming weeks. The company’s next goal is to build 500 trucks by the end of 2022.

The first practical Volta Zero prototype was revealed in 2020 and the brand has been testing it ever since. This announcement comes shortly after launch New Spanish site And in full European test tour, Which will pass through Spain between April and May. Volta Zero will be shown at MercaMadrid between April 12-22, and then will move to MercaBarna and Eixample in Barcelona, ​​where it will be on display between April 26 and May 6.

Two Volta trucks in two loading docks.

The Volta Trucks announcement also comes just hours after the official deadline for submitting proposals to build a battery factory, without No battery cell manufacturer has submitted a final project, Or suggestion, to locate in these facilities of the free trade zone. However, this period will be left open.

From June 1, project liquidations will begin and companies will have to submit binding offers to be able to enter the final battle on the Nissan plant grounds. From there, negotiations will open until October, when the company and project that will remain at each facility will be determined. Nissan plans to close its plant in December, and it has yet to decide what will happen to the current workforce between the time Nissan finally shuts down and the arrival of the replacement.

As far as the characteristics of the vehicle are concerned, they are A. 16 ton fully electric truck Designed to deliver goods within the city, with a range of 200 km. The driver sits in a central position and in a much lower position than a conventional truck, making it easier to get in and out of the vehicle and reducing blind spots (with a 220-degree view from the driving position).