Voltia, which is pioneering commercial electric vehicles as a service in Europe, recently unveiled its newest offering — a 2.2 ton, all-electric, urban delivery van dubbed “The Maxi.”
The unveiling, which took place at the recent Ecomobiel sustainable mobility trade show, explained that the new offering was designed with the intent of meeting the business needs of small companies in relevant regions.
We got a scoop on the Voltia Maxi thanks to the company’s founder — who has long been a CleanTechnica and EV Obsession reader — attending our recent Cleantech Revolution Tour conference in Poland.
Notably, the Maxi is based on the Nissan eNV200, but it has been enlarged considerably so as to better meet actual business needs. The Maxi is capable of holding up to 3 Euro-pallets thanks to its custom-extended rear chassis. Cargo capacity is 8 cubic meters (~282.5 cubic feet) and 600 kilograms (~1,323 lbs). Single-charge range is 140 kilometers (~87 miles).
Importantly, in conjunction with the use of the electric van itself, Voltia will be providing customers with “analysis of their routes, advising, an electric vehicle deployment plan … and a complete service package tailored to their specific business needs” as part of its business plan, according to an email sent to CleanTechnica and EV Obsession.
To explain in more detail: the company provides the vehicles and takes care of almost everything, but it maintains ownership of the vehicle for the duration of the lease. Such an approach allows for companies otherwise unable to economically make the transition to electric vehicles able to do so.
“The transport sector is a significant source of urban CO2 emissions, and, with the rise of e-commerce, the challenge is growing,” stated Voltia Benelux Regional Manager Manolo de la Fuente. “According to the research firm CE Delft, 30% of the Netherland’s transport related emissions comes from city logistics. We are pleased today to introduce the Maxi, to tackle those problems by providing delivery companies a new, customized tool they can realistically use to achieve their business goals in a sustainable manner.”
Interest in the model has apparently been fairly high so far, according to the company.
Those interested in learning more about the model will be able to see it in person at some upcoming logistics sector events, including:
Speedchain, Prague, CZ — Nov 3-4
SlovLog, Bratislava, SK — Nov 24
As noted in a previous article about GreenWay, Voltia and GreenWay were two parts of the same company. However, they deemed it best to split the EV fast-charging station network and the commercial electric delivery van & truck leasing business.
Both seem to be advancing well on their own, with GreenWay completing a nationwide EV fast-charging network in Slovakia, and having fun with a cross-country trip in 10 Nissan LEAFs.