The electric truck company Volta Truck, which was founded in 2019 in Sweden, said that it has decided to declare bankruptcy in its country. The decision is linked to the August announcement of the bankruptcy of battery supplier Proterra.
Volta said in a special statement that the supplier’s decision “had a significant impact (…) on production plans, reducing the expected vehicle production.” In addition, the “uncertainty” regarding the battery supplier made it difficult to obtain funds from potential investors. Moreover, since the Swedish company operates in Great Britain, it has announced that it will soon file for bankruptcy in the United Kingdom as well.
According to Reuters, the truck manufacturer has raised nearly 300 million euros from investors. Additionally, the manufacturer reported orders totaling more than 5,000 vehicles. At the factory in Steyr, Austria, the company worked to start mass production.
Just a few months ago, the manufacturer’s electric truck, the Zero model, received EU approval. The model was to be available with two battery packs – with a capacity of 150 and 225 kWh. According to the manufacturer, this was supposed to allow a driving range of 150 to 200 kilometers.
The most interesting issue related to the new electric truck was the seating arrangement in the cabin. The driver was supposed to sit in the middle. Two passengers can sit to the left and right of the driver on pushed-back seats.
The company explained that the central location of the driver’s seat will have a positive impact on safety. Moreover, according to Volta Trucks representatives, it improves visibility from the vehicle. The Zero was intended to be a truck that would be driven mainly in cities, which meant the driver would have to squeeze through narrow streets. Sitting in the middle, he will have a good view of the entire car, making it easier to assess distance and spot any obstacles. Moreover, the driver can exit on the left and on the right.
However, an electric truck with a steering wheel in the middle is not new. Another well-known vehicle that provided such a solution is the Tesla Semi. However, this has been met with significant criticism. A professional Polish driver took a closer look at the model and listed the defects and problems that arise from it due to the location of the steering wheel in the middle. He noted, among other things, that such a seating arrangement is a waste of space. Although not all comments also apply to the Zero model, it is undoubtedly not easy to collect a parking ticket on both trucks, for example.
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