Volta Trucks has announced the first full-electric Volta Zero with Truck-as-a-Service (TaaS) charging infrastructure deployment to Heppner, a provider of transport and logistics solutions and an independent leader in international shipping from and to France.
Heppner’s pre-order with deposit will see 16 full-electric Volta Zeros run from the company’s depots in Paris’ Rungis and La Courneuve, as well as Lyon. The arrangement also includes the installation of the electric charging infrastructure needed to power the trucks, with a variety of 22kW slow and 150kW fast chargers to be built by Volta Trucks’ previously announced charging infrastructure partner, Siemens. Siemens’ strategic cooperation covers software control systems, facility electrification, charging station operation, energy management, building equipment, and project finance.
Volta Trucks and Heppner collaborated closely to establish charging requirements via a series of site studies. Each study identified a site’s current infrastructure and changes necessary to recharge a fleet of Volta Zeros, which is critical to installing a successful charging system.
TaaS is intended to de-risk and speed fleet managers’ transition to electric commercial vehicles. Heppner will have access to maintenance, servicing, insurance, and training services for its vehicles through its TaaS offering, and will rely on Volta Trucks for the development and effective execution of all parts of the electrification transition.
The trucks are part of Heppner’s strategic decarbonisation plan, which includes incorporating electric power into the company’s energy mix. With this partnership, Heppner will be able to provide its drivers both 16 and 18 tonne full-electric vehicles appropriate for last-mile deliveries.
The Volta Zero is the first full-electric medium-duty commercial vehicle intended exclusively for urban logistics. With 150kWh to 225kWh of batteries positioned between the chassis rails, the Volta Zero will give a range of 150km to 200km, more than enough for distribution in city centres.
“At Heppner, our approach to reducing our carbon footprint is global and we act wherever possible. I am proud to be able to lay a new brick in our energy transition with Volta Trucks, which is a key pillar of our strategy. This first successful trial is the start of a great collaboration in which innovation and agility have their place," said Jean-Thomas Schmitt, CEO of the Heppner Group.
“I’m delighted to welcome Heppner to Volta Trucks. Both teams have worked towards a shared vision – to implement the full-electric Volta Zero onto Heppner’s fleet but also recognising that the migration to zero tailpipe emissions needs more than a truck, it needs the complete electrification ecosystem around the truck, to be successful. Our unique Truck as a Service proposition supports customers like Heppner operate an efficient and cost-effective full-electric fleet of trucks from day one. I’m sure this will provide a template and case study that others will follow,” added Essa Al-Saleh, CEO of Volta Trucks.
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