California-based electric vehicle (EV) technology company Voltu is gearing up to revolutionize the commercial EV market. Founded by Argentinian bioengineer George Gebhart, the company plans to introduce its first Class 3 pickup truck, a “work truck,” by 2025. Gebhart sat down with Grit Daily Startup Show host John Biggs to share insights into Voltu’s strategy, challenges, and future plans.

A Different Approach to EV Development

“We’re essentially an innovative electric vehicle technology company,” Gebhart explained. “What we do is focus on the powertrain technology — from batteries to motors, drive units, and all the power electronics. We develop, test, and validate that technology.”

Unlike traditional automakers, Voltu doesn’t manufacture entire vehicles from scratch. Instead, the company purchases pre-validated chassis from established original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and integrates its proprietary powertrain technology. This approach allows Voltu to concentrate on its core expertise. They build the battery packs, battery modules, and drive units. Essentially, the electric motors and power electronics. It’s an integrated system they deploy over those chassis.

A Focus on Commercial EVs

While many EV startups target passenger vehicles, Voltu is carving out its niche in commercial vehicles. They are focused on mid-size trucks, ones tough enough to do whatever they need to do on the field. The company’s upcoming pickup work truck will feature a 350-mile range thanks to its patented immersed cooling technology that significantly boosts energy density. “We have a battery technology that essentially doubles the energy density of most competition,” he added.

Voltu is also addressing the functional demands of commercial users. Having enough power to haul and tow the same pounds as the original vehicle is a challenge, but it’s something they have solved.

Challenges in the EV Space

Gebhart acknowledged the difficulties of building a hardware-focused business. Deploying hardware is hard. You need to manufacture that hardware and control the quality of the products. You’ve seen companies raising a lot of money and still going out of business. Electric vehicles are not easy — you need to dominate the technology.

The company has also considered retrofitting gas-powered vehicles with electric systems but remains focused on producing new EVs. “The truth of the transition is going to happen with new vehicles,” Gebhart stated.

The Road Ahead

Voltu’s immediate goal is to produce 20,000 vehicles over the next three years, with plans to expand into lighter trucks and commercial vehicles after that. According to Gebhart, there’s a gap in the market that allows them to have this rapid expansion in the U.S.

As for the broader adoption of EVs, Gebhart predicts significant progress within the next decade. “Most of the segments that can be electrified are going to be electrified in the next 10 years. At least the majority of that. And you have a lot of those segments, especially in the commercial vehicles, that you don’t have options to purchase right now.”

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