Volta Power Systems has powered utility trucks, work vans, coaches and limousines since Jack Johnson co-founded the company more than five years ago.
When a musician and his wife launched the first leg of his concert tour during the pandemic in a Storyteller Overland Mode campervan, Volta’s system provided all the power they needed.
In a year of van ownership, Jason and Emma Walsmith traveled more than 68,000 miles across 32 states and powered 17 shows off the van’s power system. Volta estimated the power system’s use in the year prevented 26,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere, saving $3,500 in fuel costs.
“The reason we are telling the Walsmiths’ story is to show how the system can be used really hard, and they were able to get this kind of performance,” Johnson said. “The technology is much more capable than the expectations that are out there today.”
At one point during the trip, Johnson said the couple came across power outages in their local area. They used the Volta system in the Mode to power up a neighbor’s house.
“They powered up a neighborhood with it, but they did not want to tell anybody, because they thought it would void the warranty. That is what people have come to expect,” Johnson said. “We said, ‘No, that is great, that is the story we want to tell!’”
Volta systems have powered vehicles with more than 250,000 miles on them, as much as 1 million miles Johnson said, with the coach batteries still running.
“Everything here we designed with an automotive mindset, and that has to be a 10-year lifespan and still be working,” he said. “We are trying to help people understand the difference between a traditional consumer product with a two- or three-year lifespan and the heavy-duty use over the lifetime of a vehicle that we build for. The Walsmiths have 68,000 miles in a year with no issues, and that is what it is designed to do.”
Emma Walsmith said the extra cost of buying the vehicle for the tour was justified by the van’s 13.5 kWh lithium-ion power system running the air conditioning and other amenities without idling or connecting to shore power.
“I mean, just the idea that we could run A/C off the battery for our two dogs? That really piqued our interest!” she said.
Among the concert stops the couple made was a performance in front of about 80 attendees at the Volta Power Systems headquarters in Holland, Michigan. All audio equipment used in the concert was powered off the Volta system in the Mode.
Jason Walsmith recorded three new solo songs inspired by the couple’s experiences on the road. The full album will be available Aug. 31 and its first single, “Camper Van,” is available now on all major streaming platforms, with a music video on YouTube.
