Volta Trucks opens TAAS site in London

London mayor Sadiq Khan (centre) at opening of Volta Trucks’ TAAS site (Photo: Volta Trucks)

Volta Trucks, Swedish manufacturer of the Volta Zero battery-electric heavy goods vehicles, has opened its first Trucks-As-A-Service (TAAS) hub in London.

The opening of the site, located in Tottenham, north London, was attended by London mayor Sadiq Khan.

The new TAAS hub is intended to be the primary location for routine servicing and maintenance of Volta trucks in the London area. According to company information, the hub will provide ‘everything a fleet operator needs to support their seamless transition to electric trucks’.

The site further includes administration offices, a Volta Trucks training centre and a customer call centre which will provide 24-hour assistance and technical support.

Speaking about the new TAAS hub, Khan said: “Zero-emission freight is an area which has been considered a significant barrier in the shift to decarbonising road transport. That is why I’m delighted to support Volta Trucks, who have recently launched the London trial of their first fully electric heavy goods vehicle (HGV). The new Volta Zero vehicle is the future of London’s freight – world-leading in terms of green technology, while also meeting the highest safety standard which can be awarded to an HGV.”

He continued: “As more electric vehicles come onto our roads, it’s vital that London has the infrastructure to support them. [Transport for London, TfL] will be releasing another two batches of sites to the market to deliver public rapid and ultra-rapid charge points across its road network. These sites will play a huge part in supporting high mileage, essential road users such as commercial vehicles and businesses.”

The hub has undergone a BREEAM assessment, used to measure site sustainability. Featuring a photovoltaic system on the roof and a passive solar wall, the location was awarded an ‘Excellent’ rating.

Volta Trucks has also created a third-party agreement with Sapphire Vehicle Solutions to support a service and maintenance network across the UK. This includes a fleet of mobile servicing units.

The TAAS hub in London is the fourth such location in Europe. Other sites are in Bonneuil-sur-Marne, near Paris, France, Madrid, Spain and Duisburg, Germany.

The Volta Zero is assembled by a contract manufacturer in Steyr, Austria. Production of customer vehicles started in April 2023.