Prodrive rallies round electric truck design

By Categories: NewsPublished On: Tuesday 29 October 2019

Banbury-based Prodrive, best known for its involvement in rallying, is working with Volta in the development of the French company’s electric truck.

The vehicle features a low-entry composite cab, made from natural fibres, with a central driving position, combined with a conventional-height ladder-frame chassis to facilitate docking. Performance targets for the truck include a range of 100 miles, a top speed of 50 mph and gradeability sufficient to briskly negotiate the slip roads typical of urban elevated routes.

Gross weights of between 14 and 18 tonnes will be available.

Prodrive has a respectable record in EV development, including involvement with the Ford Transit Custom plug-in hybrid due for launch before the end of the year, and is tasked with developing the Volta design into a driveable demonstrator by the middle of next year.

During the manufacture of the prototype batch, Prodrive will gradually hand over build responsibility to the confirmed production supplier, but will retain engineering responsibility and oversee ongoing development. The target manufacturing volume is 2,000 units per year.