"Voltu has been able to accomplish a feat which no other EV company has done - electrifying Class 3 heavy-duty vehicles for commercial application," said Riverside City Manager Mike Futrell.
Voltu Motors is preparing to roll out its fleet of all-electric commercial trucks from its brand-new manufacturing facility in Riverside, which will also serve as its global headquarters.
"We landed here in Riverside because of the huge support we had from the city," said George Gebhart, CEO and founder of Voltu.
But it's not just the city's support that attracted Voltu. Riverside's close proximity to four major universities, including UC Riverside, also played a crucial role. The region is home to a wealth of talent and research, making it an ideal location for the company's innovation-driven goals.
"RPU will be one of the first utilities to deploy Voltu's new zero-emission trucks, with up to 10 vehicles planned for deployment in the near future," said David Garcia, Riverside Public Utilities.
Riverside is leading the way in adopting this new technology. The city will be receiving 20 of the first vehicles from Voltu, which will be used across its utilities, street and parks departments.
What makes Voltu's trucks stand out is their cutting-edge battery technology. Voltu's patent-pending immersive cooling system reduces battery size and weight by half -- something no other electric vehicle maker has done yet.
"We can squeeze the battery pack size and have a larger battery pack in a vehicle that is an actual platform for an internal combustion engine," Gebhart said.
Riverside is fast becoming a hub for innovation and technology. Voltu joins a growing list of global companies setting up shop here, including Ohmi Electric Autonomous Shuttles, which moved its headquarters to Riverside just last month.
With Voltu's electric trucks ready to hit the road, Riverside is not just thinking about the future - they're driving it forward.