The Journey

“I am a ‘serial entrepreneur’ who has been part of many business ventures across Europe over the past 30 years.”

I admit that, while some ventures have been successful, others have been less so. However, I believe the most important lesson gleaned from all ventures is that ‘you learn something from everything you try’.

In 2016, I saw an opportunity...

...when I noticed large automotive manufacturers become increasingly uncomfortable with their position in the market after the unveiling of Tesla’s Model 3. I can pinpoint the launch of the Model 3 and Tesla’s subsequent securing of 325,000 reservations in the space of just a few weeks as the catalyst for the Volta Trucks vision.

The passenger car market started to take note of customers, who were showing demand for electric vehicles. However, in terms of commercial vehicles, much less happened. The more I investigated why CV manufacturers weren’t making the change, even though. interest was clearly growing, the more I understood why it was taking time – the legacy architecture of internal combustion engine trucks was providing OEMs with a major design challenge that was holding them back.

In the meantime...

...whereas passenger car consumers have alternative options, such as public transport if new, unestablished technology limits performance and reliability, commercial vehicles enjoy no such alternatives, meaning that businesses lose money every second the vehicle is not in operation.

This realisation appealed to my entrepreneurial spirit and I realised that a strong business model could be carved from the opportunity; in turn, this only served to increase my determination to bring the vision from concept to reality.

Why? For two reasons.

“I wanted to offer a tangible solution for fleet operators to address climate change and the associated current and future legislation, such as the ban of diesel engines.”

“I also wished to enhance the safety of pedestrians and cyclists in urban environments – TfL statistics show that, in London, trucks account for just 4% of road miles travelled, yet are responsible for 26% of pedestrian fatalities and 78% of cyclist fatalities.”

"I think it is clear that no one can deny the terrible impact on our environment and health caused by transport CO2 emissions".

What we need are advocates for the leaders in this space who can steer the world away from creating any more tail-pipe emissions. A reality in which full-electric delivery fleets operate in cities around the world is one tangible way to reduce the damage and minimise suffering from harmful fossil fuel pollution.

Many people looked to their governments for guidance. Yet, while politicians would often agree that “we should do something”, they would talk about goals that were 10 or 25 years away and, by then, it would be too late. I was convinced that there was an opportunity to act much faster.

Making an impact

Our thinking with the Volta Zero is that we want to come to market with a good, reliable product as quickly as possible, so as to make an impact as quickly as possible. Every diesel truck that is replaced by a Volta Zero will make a positive contribution instantly. If you go from one to ten, it’s an impact of tenfold. And, with our production plan of producing 5,000 trucks for customers in 2023, it will represent a change of five thousand-fold.

"Start small and try to make an impact fast".

That has been our mantra from the beginning and has led us to our development methods. Volta Trucks is no longer a research project, or a concept that needs to be proven. We use existing and certified, best-in-class technology in the Volta Zero in order to deliver on our ambitious production goals.

I also drew some inspiration from Apple, which controls both its hardware and its software, but hasn’t built all of it by itself.

Apple, too, relied on current best-in-class technology to manufacture disruptive, high-end and game-changing products and services. A model which we are emulating with the Volta Zero and Truck as a Service proposition.

Before launching Volta Trucks, I tested the concept of the Volta Zero with customers and received an instantly positive reception. That made me confident that this would be a good and sustainable business.

At the beginning, many people asked me how we were going to start this without having any secured orders. I’d tell them about Wayne Gretzky, the former international pro-ice hockey player.

I remember when reporters asked Gretzky ‘How do you score so many goals?’, his simple answer was:

"I skate to be where the puck is going to be, not where it has been".

This is the philosophy I live by. The electric vehicle market is moving at great speed, so what I want to do is to prepare the ground and lead the team in anticipation of supplying trucks at the scale the market needs them, when it needs them.

However, what is important to me is that all of this ambition and ethos goes way beyond just creating an environmentally sustainable product and a healthy business model.

Ultimately, my real desire is to make Volta Trucks more than just one possible solution to transport decarbonisation. Rather, to be a genuine catalyst for change for the whole marketplace. My true goal is to inspire the rest of the sector to join us in the fight against climate change.