Volta Trucks has added Dr Karl Viktor Schaller, former MAN chief technology officer, to its board of directors, as it continues to build a strong team of industry leaders.
Dr Schaller is a commercial vehicle industry heavy hitter, bringing a wealth of experience to Volta Trucks, having held a number of executive and board positions in the automotive sector. As originally reported in Motor Transport, between 2014 and 2019, Dr Schaller was executive vice president of motorcycle engineering at BMW and before that he was chief technology officer at MAN Truck and Bus, with responsibility for engineering, purchasing, planning and product development.
Prior to this, he was director of MAN’s heavy trucks business unit, after having headed various other departments. During this period at MAN, he led the development of alternative drive systems, including batteries, hybrids, natural gas, hydrogen in internal combustion and fuel cell applications, as well as advanced driver assistance systems, and heavy trucks.
Announcing the appointment, Douglas Snyder, president of Luxor Capital Group and chairman of the board at Volta Trucks, said: “I am delighted to welcome Karl Viktor Schaller to the board of directors of Volta Trucks.
“His arrival coincides with significant, positive, engineering and manufacturing developments for the company, as we move into the production of the first full-electric Volta Zero prototype vehicles on our production line in Steyr, Austria.
“And within just a few months, Volta Trucks will start production of customer vehicles, transitioning from a start-up to a vehicle manufacturer. Karl Viktor brings a wealth of engineering and product development experience to the Board that will help us support the executive team achieve its ambitious goals, and within industry-leading timescales.”
“I am excited to join the board of Volta Trucks and support the company and the other board members in our journey to a new and carbon-neutral urban delivery system,” said Schaller. “Having worked for Volta Trucks as a consultant to support the homologation process, I have seen the challenges and outstanding solutions to bring this all to a quality-based production process. In these areas, I am eager to support with 30 years of automotive experience.”
