VOLTA TRUCKS PARTNERS WITH HERE TECHNOLOGIES TO DELIVER A TAILORED LAST-MILE ELECTRIC VEHICLE NAVIGATION SYSTEM FEATURING WHAT3WORDS
Volta Trucks, the leading and disruptive full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services provider, has confirmed that the forthcoming Volta Zero will feature integrated navigation services from HERE Technologies, the leading location data and technology platform. The Volta Zero will use EV Range Assistant, a feature from HERE tailored for inner-city deliveries. It includes range prediction for trucks on route and allows for route planning including multiple delivery stops. Search, routing, real-time traffic, and turn-by-turn voice guidance will be available both on- and offline.
HERE Navigation allows Volta Trucks to take advantage of the navigation-as-a-service model to deliver a simplified infotainment supply chain and development process. The benefits include lowering costs, improving scalability, and allows Volta Trucks to deliver a unique In-vehicle-Infotainment (IVI) system that can be remotely configured and monitored by customers, making it possible to consistently update and upgrade the driver experience. Secure data transfer between the truck and cloud enhances driver safety and privacy, while streaming the latest map data.
With HERE Navigation, drivers will be able to use the innovative geolocation technology, what3words. what3words is a simple way to identify a location in a manner that is more precise than a street address. what3words has divided the world into a grid of three-meter squares and given each square a unique combination of three random words: a what3words address. Drivers can enter what3words addresses directly into their in-truck systems, allowing them to easily navigate to locations as specific as building entrances or loading bays – ideal for busy drivers making multiple deliveries in a city.
Ian Collins, Chief Product Officer of Volta Trucks, said: "I’m delighted to confirm HERE as the provider of our navigation system for the Volta Zero, including the integration of what3words. HERE Technologies is another world-class partner for Volta Trucks, delivering the full features of embedded navigation but with the user experience of a mobile navigation application. With HERE Navigation, we can provide innovative and differentiated experiences to our drivers while simplifying our supply chain – a key benefit supporting our accelerated route to market."
"We are pleased to be putting the long experience gained working with leading OEMs to good use by helping Volta Trucks offer the best navigation experience to its truck drivers. Navigating 16-tonnes trucks within city centres is a challenge in itself – with our truck attributes and our EV range calculator, Volta Zero drivers can focus on what matters the most – the road ahead," concluded Gino Ferru, General Manager EMEAR and Senior Vice President at HERE Technologies.
About the Volta Zero
The Volta Zero is the world’s first purpose-built full-electric 16-tonne vehicle designed for urban logistics, reducing the environmental impact of freight deliveries in city centres. Designed from the ground up with an operating pure-electric range of 150 - 200 kms (95 – 125 miles), the Volta Zero will eliminate an estimated 1.2M tonnes of CO2 by 2025.
Safety is also at the heart of Volta Trucks, with its ambition of producing the safest trucks for our cities. The Volta Zero was designed for electric from the outset, which facilitates a step-change in vehicle, driver and pedestrian safety. Thanks to the removal of the internal combustion engine, the operator of a Volta Zero sits in a central driving position, with a much lower seat height than a conventional truck. This combination, plus a glass house-style cab design, gives the driver a wide 220-degrees of visibility, minimising dangerous blind spots. The prototype Volta Zero was launched in September 2020, with the first vehicles expected to be operating with customers in mid-2022.
In November 2021, Volta Trucks announced Europe’s largest purchase of full-electric trucks with DB Schenker’s order of 1,470 vehicles. This followed Petit Forestier’s order of 1,000 Volta Zeros. Volta Trucks now has a total order bank of around 4,500 vehicles, with an order bank value of circa €1 billion.
About Volta Trucks
Volta Trucks is a scale-up full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services company. Volta Trucks’ Head Office is in Stockholm, Sweden, with its engineering led from the UK, and forthcoming manufacturing facility in Steyr, Austria. The company also has sales teams across France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and the UK. Volta Trucks is partnering with a number of global leaders in the supply chain for the development and production of the Volta Zero.
