Volta Trucks partners with central London retail distribution deal

Volta Trucks has struck a fleet deal to help decarbonise and consolidate deliveries into London’s Regent Street retailers.

It will work with The Crown Estate, one of the West End of London’s largest property owners, and Clipper Logistics, its distribution provider, starting with a trial of its fully electric truck, the Volta Zero, this summer.

The zero-emission lorry will be a key component of The Crown Estate’s latest delivery consolidation scheme for its Regent Street customers as part of its ongoing commitment to reducing emissions throughout the West End.

Essa Al-Saleh, chief executive officer of Volta Trucks, said: “The full-electric Volta Zero is specifically designed for zero-emission urban distribution with exactly The Crown Estate and Clipper Logistics’ use case in mind.

“I look forward to seeing The Crown Estate and Clipper Logistics-liveried vehicles operating on the famous streets of London’s West End in only a few months’ time.”

The Crown Estate’s London portfolio spans 10 million sq ft and comprises of Regent Street and around half of St James’s.

For The Crown Estate’s Regent Street customers, this offers access to a single accessible consolidation centre, just outside London’s congestion charge zone, where their deliveries are combined and dispatched to and from store.

The purpose-built Volta Zero, which has a range of 95 - 125 miles and an 8.6-tonne payload, has been designed to be as safe as possible with a glasshouse-style cab that maximises driver visibility.

Mick Doe, transport operations director at Clipper Logistics, said: “As a business, we recognise we are high milage road users, but we are committed to reducing unnecessary road miles, and ensuring that what we do accumulate is cleaner.

“We are delighted to partner with Volta Trucks and The Crown Estate as part of our on-going commitment to improving the Regent Street environment.

“The partnership demonstrates Clipper’s agility and logistics ability by working to combat congestion and environmental impact in one of the world’s busiest retail areas.”

The Volta Zero is a purpose-built fully electric 16-tonne vehicle designed for inner-city logistics.