UK / Sweden / USA – Electric truck manufacturer, Volta Trucks of Stockholm, Sweden has confirmed the appointment of Meritor Inc of Troy, Michigan, as its strategic drivetrain component supplier for the Volta Zero. The move will support the delivery of Volta Zero vehicles for customer trials during 2021, and the start of series production around 12 months afterwards.

Volta Trucks claims Volta Zero will be the first full-electric large commercial vehicle in Europe to use Meritor’s eAxle; its Blue Horizon 14Xe integrated ePowertrain is a single unit, containing electric motor and transmission integrated in the differential of the rear axle. The 14Xe all-electric, fully integrated electric powertrain for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, Meritor states, is lighter and more efficient than a conventional electric motor and axle set-up, which, it claims delivers an increased range as a result. It also provides packaging benefits by freeing up space between the chassis rails to provide the safest possible location for the vehicle’s battery.