Volta Trucks adding Here navigation system featuring what3words

Electric commercial truckmaker Volta Trucks has partnered with Here Technologies on a navigation system it says will make its deliveries more efficient and precise.

In a deal announced at CES on Tuesday, the Swedish company will add Here's EV Range Assistant to its Volta Zero truck. Volta says the new feature is tailored for inner-city deliveries and allows for efficient route planning.

The Here navigation system will give drivers access to real-time traffic and routing when offline. The new system allows for lower costs and improved scalability, Volta said in a news release.

"What we are trying to achieve is to avoid a cognitive overload for the driver and make the experience simple and easy to use, giving the driver what they need to do their job and nothing above that," Chief Communications Officer Duncan Forrester said.

The technology also brings the geolocation system what3words into the vehicles. Rather than use traditional addresses, what3words has divided the world into a grid of 3-meter squares and given each square a unique combination of three random words. The designation for the White House, for example is sulk.held.raves vs.1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

In a September appearance on the Shift podcast, what3words COO Clare Jones said the system is an answer to problems with the traditional address model, which can lead many drivers to getting lost or entering a location at the wrong door.

"We took the whole world and divided it into this grid of 57 trillion squares," Jones said.

Drivers will be able to enter three words into their navigation system and be led to a precise 10-foot area. What3words has also been integrated into Mercedes-Benz's voice-controlled MBUX infotainment system. Other vehicles that use the system include the Lamborghini Huracan.

The usage for commercial delivery will allow drivers to work much faster and smarter, Forrester said.

"We know we have a world-class navigation system, but the integration of what3words really delivers that added layer of driver efficiency," Forrester said.

Volta Trucks launched the prototype for the Volta Zero in 2020 and plans to release the truck to market in mid-2022. Last November, the company announced a deal to sell 1,470 vehicles to German transport company DB Schenker, calling it Europe's largest single purchase of full-electric trucks. This put the total number of orders at 4,500 Volta Zeros.