AUTOMOTIVE TESTING: HGV DESIGN


New vision for safer, greener urban trucks


The Volta urban HGV takes a radical approach to both body and powertrain design to meet future standards in ecology and safety


requirements while helping keep vulnerable road users safer in crowded urban environments. The design concept positions the driver


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low down, centrally and forward of the front axle to give uninterrupted vision at street level through 220 degrees. Prodrive is helping to develop the design into a drivable demonstrator by early summer 2020.


ADDRESSING URBAN SAFETY HGVs are at the centre of a road safety challenge in London as they are involved in 23 per cent of pedestrian and 58 per cent of cyclist deaths, despite the vehicles covering just 4 per cent of road miles there. By positioning the driver in the centre


of the cab at eye level with pedestrians, using extensive cabin glazing and replacing conventional rear-view mirrors with cameras, dangerous blind spots are eliminated. Passenger seating is arranged behind the driver, on either side. According to Steve Price of Prodrive,


trucks face two major issues in an urban environment; not only are diesel engines rapidly becoming unacceptable but the category is disproportionately represented in accidents involving death and injuries among pedestrians and cyclists. “Volta Trucks has taken the design


opportunity provided by the switch to electrification to re-engineer the layout of a conventional truck and address emissions and safety concerns simultaneously,” he says.


❱❱ The concept electric HGV from Volta Trucks will provide London with clean and safe goods transport for last mile deliveries, waste collection and other short distance duties; the low and central driving position combined with camera operated rear and side views helps to keep safe vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists


URBAN AIR QUALITY Designed for use in cities, the truck will have a range of 100 miles, a top speed of 50mph and a gradeability sufficient to briskly negotiate the on-off ramps and slip roads typical of urban elevated routes. To maximise payload, the new cab will be a composite-clad spaceframe structure, the composite panels using natural rather than carbon fibres. Such is the pressure to improve urban air


quality as quickly as possible, that Volta’s target is to show the finished prototype vehicle in mid-2020 and make it available for driving demonstrations later in the year. In parallel with the demonstrator schedule is a programme to manufacture a fleet of prototypes for field trials in London and Paris with interested parties during 2021. Prodrive’s role is overall engineering


responsibility for the vehicle and programme delivery, including cab, chassis and electrical architecture. During the manufacture of the prototype


batch, Prodrive will gradually hand over build responsibility to the confirmed production supplier, but will still be responsible for the engineering and oversee ongoing development. The aim is to manufacture 2,000 vehicles a year. Prodrive’s main speciality is the


drivetrain and the company began its work on electric vehicles in 2001 with the conversion of a front-wheel-drive Saab into a hybrid demonstrator with the rear axle electrically driven. More recently, the company led the fast-track development programme for Ford’s plug-in hybrid version of the Transit Custom and built a fleet of 20 vans which were used in a successful 12-month trial with customers in London. According to Carl-Magnus Norden of


Volta Trucks, Prodrive has the experience with electric powertrains to be the natural partner to help turn the challenging concept design into production reality in such a short timeframe. T&TH


February 2020 /// Testing & Test Houses /// 33


olta Trucks and powertrain specialist, Prodrive, are collaborating on the design of a 16-tonne electric HGV designed to meet zero emissions


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