Volta Zero receives maximum five-star rating for Direct Vision Standard
Volumetric score of 32.82m³ is highest of any vehicle tested, and 50% higher than the previous best.
Direct Vision Standard now adopted by every EU Member State from 2026
Volta Trucks, the leading and disruptive all-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services provider, has officially achieved a new industry-leading rating for the Direct Vision Standard. With a volumetric score of 32.82m³, the rating for the Volta Zero is the highest ever result of any vehicle tested and 50% higher than the nearest competitor vehicle tested, at 22m³.
Following nearly a decade of research by Loughborough University, commissioned by Transport for London (TfL) and led by Dr Steve Summerskill, the Direct Vision Standard (DVS) was created for heavy goods vehicles wanting to travel into and around London. Introduced in 2021, as part of the Mayor of London’s Vision Zero Plan to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries on London’s transport network by 2041, the standard sets minimum requirements for driver vision of commercial vehicles over 12 tonnes, if they want to enter the capital city.
Beyond the UK, following the adoption of the EU General Vehicle Safety Regulation, 29 countries including every EU member state are now also adopting a UNECE Direct Vision Standard for new trucks from 2026 (and all existing trucks from 2029) ensuring vehicles operating in city centres provide better vision for the driver.
The all-electric Volta Zero was designed with safety at its core, with urban road users, pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers in mind. The driver of a Volta Zero sits in a central driving position and far lower than in a conventional truck, with their eye-line at around 1.8 metres. This is the same height as pedestrians and other road users for easy visual communication between the driver and others in the urban environment. The Volta Zero’s glasshouse-style cab provides a panoramic view of the surroundings with a wide 220-degree field of direct visibility and is further enhanced by camera technology providing 360-degree coverage of the vehicle’s surroundings.
Ian Collins, Chief Product Officer at Volta Trucks, said:
“With the design of the Volta Zero we had the chance to start from a blank sheet of paper. We wanted to produce an electric vehicle, but we also wanted to address the safety issues that we see every day when trucks are operating in built-up environments. From the very start of the project to create the Volta Zero, we have been very much informed by the research that Loughborough has done. We are pleased to see that this is now being adopted as an industry standard across Europe.”
Speaking about the new standard, Dr Summerskill said:
“For years we have been focussed on highlighting just how poor current truckdriver vision is and the risk it poses to vulnerable road users. Thanks to organisations such as Transport for London we were able to drive change in London, which has ultimately led to a new European standard. It is no exaggeration to say that this change will save the lives of countless cyclists and pedestrians. I’m incredibly proud that our work has been able to play a part in this.”
Discussing the Volta Zero, Dr Summerskill concluded;
“I’ve sat in all kinds of trucks all over the world and the Volta Zero is really quite stunning in terms of the ability to see everything that you need to see around you when at a junction. I am very impressed with the design of the Volta Zero.”
Ends.
Notes to Editor
The Volta Zero is the world’s first purpose-built all-electric 16-tonne vehicle designed for urban logistics, reducing the environmental impact of freight deliveries in city centres. The Volta Zero is designed from the ground up with an operating pure-electric range of 150 – 200 kms (95 – 125 miles).
Safety is also at the heart of Volta Trucks, with the ambition to produce the safest trucks for our cities. The Volta Zero was designed for electric from the outset, which facilitates a step-change in vehicle, driver and pedestrian safety. Thanks to the removal of the internal combustion engine, the operator of a Volta Zero sits in a central driving position, with a much lower seat height than a conventional truck. This combination, plus a glass house-style cab design, gives the driver a wide 220-degrees of visibility, minimising dangerous blind spots.
Volta Trucks is also innovating with its Truck as a Service proposition that has revolutionised the financing and servicing of commercial vehicle fleets. Truck as a Service offers fleet managers a frictionless and hassle-free way to electrify their fleet by offering an all-inclusive service for a single, affordable, monthly fee. It provides access to an all-electric Volta Zero, with its charging infrastructure needs provided by world-leader Siemens, insurance through Europe’s premier insurtech broker, Qover, and servicing, maintenance, and training requirements, maximising the uptime and operational efficiency of the vehicle.
About Volta Trucks
Volta Trucks was founded in 2019 in Sweden by co-founders Carl-Magnus Norden and Kjell Waloen. The company, focused primarily on operations across all major cities in Europe and the UK, is accelerating the transition to all-electric trucks, reducing the effects of climate change and helping make our cities safer, healthier and more sustainable for everyone. Volta Trucks has partnered with a number of global leaders in the supply chain for the development and production of the Volta Zero, at pace and scale. In total, Volta Trucks has raised over €360 million funding to date.
The company’s contract manufacturing facility is in Steyr, Austria, where the production of customer-specification vehicles began in April 2023. The company has also established a network of ‘Volta Trucks Hub’ service and maintenance facilities in its launch markets, with the first four already announced in Bonneuil-sur-Marne, to the south of Paris, in Tottenham, London, Duisburg, to the west of the Rhine-Ruhr region in Germany, and in Madrid, Spain.
For further information, please contact:
Amanda Gibson
Amanda.Gibson@voltatrucks.com
Head of Public Relations
00 44 7565 999199
Brian Wheeler
Brian.Wheeler@voltatrucks.com
PR Manager
00 44 7342 930981
Chess Turton
Chess.Turton@voltatrucks.com
Press & Communications Executive
00 44 7384 393948
Duncan Forrester
Duncan.Forrester@voltatrucks.com
Chief Communications Officer
00 44 7768 877877
General Enquiries
press@voltatrucks.com