Susan Alt, who retired as Volvo Group senior vice president of public affairs in 2019, has joined the advisory board of innovative electric vehicle startup Trova Commercial Vehicles (TrovaCV).
TrovaCV provides commercial vehicle manufacturers with customized engineering, design and manufacturing expertise for fully electric commercial vehicles while at the same time developing a unique driveline conversion program, known as the D2E Program, for heavy duty trucks.
“Susan built an impressive network with industry federations and decision makers in Washington D.C. during her extensive career with Volvo Group,” said Patrick Collignon, TrovaCV founder and CEO as well as a former Volvo executive. “As an industry newcomer, TrovaCV needs Susan’s guidance and advice in dealing with a fast-moving regulatory environment as we work to secure some of the grants that are fueling this massive shift in our industry.”
Alt said this is an exciting time for the trucking industry and she’s looking forward to working with TrovaCV to help drive a sustainable future.
“We’re at the point that electric trucks are now scalable. Even 10 years ago, this technology wasn’t as scalable as it is today,” Alt said. “TrovaCV’s expertise enables OEMs to produce higher volumes of electric vehicles at a lower cost, which facilitates a smooth transition to an electric future that’s better for the Earth and the next generation.”
Alt brings more than 30 years of industry experience to a board that includes other trucking industry executives. She started her career at Volvo in 1988 as an engineer, and quickly rose through the ranks holding a number of sales and marketing positions.
In 2003, Alt became president and CEO of Volvo Logistics North America with responsibility for all group logistics, including moving parts from suppliers to factories, and efficiently getting finished goods to dealers or customers. She also served as liaison with industry and trade associations.
“The technology is moving faster than the regulations,” Alt added. “You need to educate policy makers on what the technology can or can't do.”
