London-based sustainable drinks brand Drinks Cubed is the first business to order the new Volta Zero electric truck.

The company has signed a multi-million-pound deal for the supply of a fleet of Volta Zero vehicles into its distribution operations between 2022 and 2023.

A number of operators, including DPD, have signed up to trial the new vehicle, but Drinks Cubed is the first to conmmit to an order.

Co-founder of Drinks Cubed Sukhi Sindhu said: “When we set up Drinks Cubed, we wanted to do things right from the get-go. We are incredibly passionate about the challenge’s humanity faces today but like the team at Volta Trucks, we weren’t content with just discussing the problems - we wanted to find the solutions. So, as well as looking at our carbon footprint when it came to our packaging, we also needed to address our distribution too. That is where the Volta Zero will play its part.

“Volta Trucks has taken a holistic approach to sustainability, looking further than just tailpipe emissions and into sustainable methods of manufacturing and components. With Volta Trucks, we have found a brand with shared sustainability values.”

Drinks Cubed is the world’s first drinks company to use FSC certified paperboard and ASI certified aluminium, and EU sourced plant-based plastics in its packaging. The Volta Zero is the first road vehicle to use a carbon-neutral, naturally grown flax fibre and biodegradable resin composite in the construction of its exterior body panels.

The announcement of the first vehicle sales comes soon after the launch of the Volta Zero on September 3, which has been witnessed by more than 30,000 people to date.

Rob Fowler, chief executive officer of Volta Trucks, said: “The reception to the Volta Zero has been overwhelming – beyond even our most optimistic expectations. The positivity from media and potential customers further convinces us that there is a clear opportunity in the commercial vehicle market for a disruptor like Volta Trucks to create a vehicle from the ground up that’s not only full electric, but because of its innovative design, is both safer and more sustainable than the existing choice of trucks.”

The Volta Zero is a fully-electric 16-tonne vehicle designed for inner-city freight deliveries. It has a range of 95 – 125 miles and a central driving position to improve visibility.