Volta Trucks has announced plans to expand its UK-based research and development (R&D) capabilities to support its forthcoming vehicle programmes.
The announcement comes as the commercial heavy-duty EV manufacturer aims to deliver prototype full-electric 16-tonne commercial vehicles for customer evaluation in London and Paris by mid-2022, ahead of series production starting by the end of next year.
A recruitment drive to accelerate development of the all-electric Volta Zero will see the company’s headcount increase from over 150 employees to more than 280 by the end of 2021.
Volta Trucks’ expanded R&D team will be primarily based near Reading, close to where the London vehicles will operate. The scalable offices can currently accommodate over 110 engineers working not only on the 16-tonne vehicle, but also on forthcoming 7.5-, 12- and 19-tonne variants.
Essa Al-Saleh, CEO of Volta Trucks, said; “The UK has a long history of engineering excellence, and this has already proven to be a great source of talent for us, but we now need to accelerate the growth of the company.
“With our innovative product and ground-breaking approach to customers and vehicle ownership, we are looking for the brightest, forward-thinking and entrepreneurial experts to join the Volta Trucks team and help us on our journey towards a safer and more sustainable future for commercial vehicles.”
The team is currently using a number of UK vehicle testing facilities where the company’s first prototype vehicles are running, and the forthcoming manufacturing plant in Steyr, Austria. It is also connected to Volta’s headquarters in Stockholm and regional offices in Paris and other European cities.
