Voltu Motors picks Riverside for HQ

Voltu Motor installs its battery-electric systems on medium-duty Ford trucks. (Photo: Voltu Motor)

University of California Riverside (UCR) said it played a key role in bringing Voltu Motor Inc. to its city. Founded in Argentina in 2012, the developer of medium-duty electric trucks recently announced that it will establish its global headquarters and factory in Riverside, Calif.

“Riverside offers not just a logistics hub but also an ecosystem aligned with our values of trust, prosperity, and sustainability,” said George Gebhart, CEO of Voltu Motor Inc. “Our journey here started with UCR’s incredible support, demonstrating Riverside’s immense potential as a green technology powerhouse. Together, we can create jobs, drive innovation, and protect our most precious asset—our planet.”

George Gebhart, CEO of Voltu Motor Inc. (Photo: Voltu Motor)

The university said it played a multifaceted role in bringing Voltu to the Southern California city. The university’s College of Engineering Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT) and its Office of Technology Partnerships (OTP) provided support to the company over the past four years. This included navigating the state’s landscape of regulations and incentives, securing vehicle technology certifications from the California Air Resources Board (CARB), providing testing facilities and independent verification of the vehicle’s performance, and facilitating introductions to city officials and other stakeholders.

“Through our Build to Scale and Small Business Development Center programs, we have guided them through customer discovery, building partnerships and clientele, finding an ideal manufacturing headquarters, pursuing funding opportunities and mobilizing industry and academic partners to support the region’s upcoming workforce needs” said Nicole Cleary, UCR’s project advisor for its Opportunities to Advance Sustainability, Innovation, and Social Inclusion (SoCal OASISTM) program. “Our programs aim to ensure that companies like Voltu have the tools to succeed while bringing high-quality jobs to the Inland Empire.”

Voltu Motor builds fully electric powertrain platforms based on the Ford truck chassis. The company installs its Initio Energy Mobiles (IEM) between the frame rails of the Ford chassis, all controlled by a centralized ICU (Initio Control Unit) which also facilitates V2V (vehicle-to-vehicle) charging between Voltu systems. The Ford truck will get four IMUs (Initio Motor Unit) to drive each wheel. The company said each motor puts out up to 125 kW. The vehicles do not require specialized charging systems and can plug into standard 220-volt outlets.

“UCR’s mission is to foster innovation and create opportunities for our community,” said Rodolfo Torres, UCR vice chancellor for Research and Economic Development. “Voltu’s decision to establish its headquarters in Riverside exemplifies the success of our partnerships and programs, which bring cutting-edge companies to our region.”

Before its move to Riverside, Voltu established its U.S. office in Sunnyvale, Calif. In Riverside, the company said it expects to create more than 400 direct jobs within four years, eventually scaling up to 700 positions and generating over 1,200 indirect jobs. Voltu said its facility will produce 14,000 vehicles in its first three years, generating $1.6 billion in revenue.

The cooperative effort also included the City of Riverside, which has also committed to 20 Voltu electrified Ford F-350 crew cab four-wheel drive trucks that will be used by the field crews of its utilities, streets and parks. The trucks will reportedly have a range of 350 miles per charge.

Voltu said it expects to help meet demand spurred by state law, which requires municipalities in California to add zero-emission vehicles to their fleets as a percentage of purchases each year. Currently, 50% of municipal vehicle purchases must be zero-emission, increasing to 100% by Jan. 1, 2027.

“One of the key reasons I believe Riverside was the right choice for Voltu is the incredible talent pipeline we’re cultivating,” said Torres. “UCR is home to some of the brightest engineering students and researchers, many of whom are working on cutting-edge projects in areas like battery technology, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing. These students, along with talent from our neighboring colleges and universities, represent the workforce of tomorrow -- the individuals who will design, build, and optimize Voltu’s commercial electric trucks in the years ahead.”