Volta Trucks has successfully completed hot weather testing of its fully-electric 16-tonne Volta Zero.
The rigorous programme, which took place over six weeks at Nardo Technical Centre in Southern Italy, was designed to test Volta Zero’s durability in extreme conditions and ensure optimum operational reliability.
The Vehicle Development team completed over 2,500 km of driving cycles at motorway, town, and city speeds in temperatures of up to 39 degrees Celsius during the day and 28 degrees Celsius at night. This pushed the air conditioning and thermal management systems of the battery and powertrain to its extreme.
“The completion of our hot weather testing programme marks another important milestone in the development and delivery of the Volta Zero,” said Ian Collins, chief product officer of Volta Trucks.
Though these conditions are unlikely to be experienced in its natural urban surroundings, the all-electric truck manufacturer claims that the testing has also been undertaken on coarse dustier surfaces. This provided an even tougher challenge for the truck’s chassis, pushing the vehicle’s suspension, steering, traction control and braking system beyond the expected limit of normal customer usage.
“The testing allows our engineers to incorporate their latest findings in the series production of customer specification vehicles, ensuring the Volta Zero will deliver a reliable and durable experience for future customers,” added Collins.