Jan 10, 2025
EV Trucks for Commercial Use w/ George Gebhart of Voltu Motor
- AZ TRT S05 EP45 (261) 12-30-2024
What We Learned This Week
- Voltu Motor provides EV battery and drive train for commercial trucks
- Creating new EV tech that is lighter, extended charge for longer range, and Inverter to charge on site
- Deals in Class 3 trucks for business – utility, fleet, delivery, repair
- Further the cause of EV adoption to help the environment and be more efficient
Guest: George Gebhart, CEO and founder of Voltu Motor
A trailblazer in the electric vehicle (EV) industry, leveraging nearly two decades of expertise in engineering, innovation, and leadership to redefine sustainable transportation. A bioengineer by training, George began his career conducting research in robotics and brain-computer interfaces (BCI), focusing on semi-autonomous systems for handicapped individuals. This groundbreaking work laid the foundation for his passion for electrification and technology-driven solutions.
With over 15 years of experience in electric drives and EVs, George founded Voltu to revolutionize the EV market with an integrated, proprietary powertrain solution. Voltu’s innovations—such as the patented immersive cooling battery technology and the bidirectional inverter that enables the industry-first onboard fast charging—are a testament to his technical ingenuity and determination to eliminate barriers to EV adoption.
George’s journey as a leader is marked by a rare combination of intellectual curiosity, mathematical acumen, and unwavering resilience. These traits not only underpin his own achievements but also inspire his team. “I haven’t personally seen or heard about a group more tough or resilient, with an unmatched work ethic,” George says of Voltu’s team, who have worked closely with him over the past years to prepare for scaling the company. This collaboration and shared vision fuel his conviction that Voltu can make a lasting impact in the EV industry
A seasoned speaker, including as a TEDx presenter, George emphasizes perseverance, teamwork, and the transformative power of innovation in addressing global challenges. Today, as Voltu secures multi-million-dollar contracts and advances its vision of energy freedom, George continues to lead the charge toward a cleaner, smarter, and more connected world.
Leading a Greener Future in Class 3 Trucking—Meet Voltu Motors
Voltu Motor Redefines Sustainability with the Future of Class 3 Electric Trucks
As the electric vehicle (EV) market hurtles toward a projected $255 billion valuation by 2030, Voltu Motor Inc. is emerging as a transformative force Class 3 trucking. Founded in Argentina and now headquartered in Riverside, California, Voltu Motors is setting a new industry standard with its innovative technologies and groundbreaking approach to electrification.
The company’s flagship Voltu 3 Pickup Work Truck addresses the critical needs of businesses in the commercial sector. With a 350-mile range, patented Immerse Cooling Technology, and Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) capabilities, it’s more than a truck—it’s a mobile energy solution poised to revolutionize urban freight and fleet operations.
Notes:
Seg 1
Truck chassis with an embed electric battery
Voltu deals with Class 3 commercial trucks
They plan to launch a midsize pick up truck in 2025
The benefits are: extended charge, lightweight, charging inverter, cloud based monitoring in the future
In the future they could have a setup for car conversion, from fuel to EV based.
They are a technology company, and already delivering vehicles
EV industry challenges: adoption, and cost, battery range, charging infrastructures.
Electric powertrain, and drivetrain to integrate in vehicles
Class 3 commercial vehicles are used for fleet, delivery, pick up truck
Utility, service, maintenance, equipment, trucks, supply chain
New electric vehicle chassis, battery plus drive chain
Supply to legacy auto makers, and do the final assembly of the vehicle
Range of 350 miles, smaller battery and is lighter with lithium cells
Better cooling immersion and more efficient
Over the long-term EV batteries will be smaller
Patent on charging technology, inverter for a fast charge a DC
Can plug the vehicle into any industrial outlet, and charge right at your business
Seg 2
Fast charge tech, on vehicle charging – can charge vehicle to vehicle on the road
More adoption of EV cars, and market share is grow
Legacy auto maker struggle to transition to EV fleet
Voltu started about 10 years ago, developing technology company with 20 people stationed in California, future plan to hire 400 more
George background is a bio engineer
Semi autonomous vehicle and Motor tech to Motor drivetrain, battery
Vertical integration with the power
Investment in the Voltu Motor company so far has been startup, family, some VC
Raise money, in VC and capital markets
Goal of 1 million commercial vehicles on the road in 10 years
Solve tech issue for Class 3, dealing in Power, towing capacity, range, charging
Seg 3
Government fleets, utility, airport trucks, ports, any type of delivery
B to B type business, or businesses that want to do conversion to EV
This is a common vehicle in commercial, pick up trucks, more EV coming
Compatible with fast charging stations
Typically, a fleet truck would charge on site first thing in the morning
Truck on the road needs energy to do tasks
Has capacity to charge vehicle to vehicle when someone is in the field
Warranty of EV batteries is 10 years plus we can have an afterlife second life with energy storage
Manufacturing in the USA and certified with US in California standard
Carbon plus EBA standards, federal base of standards, be good all across the USA
Battery for light and medium commercial vehicles
Other type of vehicles are a class eight, example as long haul and big vehicles
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