British electric start-up Tevva has said that development of its hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks is continuing at the same time as it is releasing and testing more versions of its battery electric truck platforms.
the British based company says it has a ” laser-guided focus trained on building and delivering its battery-electric 7.5tonne vehicle”, but that testing and development of its hydrogen-electric truck continues apace.
The company says that four of its engineers, Charlie Cordell, Byron Dolman, Ryan Clark and Toby Hurst recently conducted a ‘range test’ of Tevva’s dual-energy prototype truck accumulating more than 1,000km in the 7.5tonne hydrogen-electric vehicle, driving between Tevva’s London HQ and the Scottish border at Berwick-on-Tweed.
The return journey saw the truck cover almost 600km without needing a recharge, which Teeva says was made possible by the truck’s hydrogen fuel cell which it uses to top up the range-extended vehicle’s lithium battery when needed. Tevva calls the power unit Rex, in line with its Range Extender capability.
Tevva’s lead engineer on its Rex project, Charlie Cordell said that the test was an amazing trip and they were pleased the truck covered so many miles on the return leg, without the need to stop for a charge.
“The trip was a terrific demonstration of the range you can achieve in a truck that uses a blended system of electric and hydrogen. The freezing conditions were extremely challenging, but helpful too, in allowing us to gather important data about vehicle performance, meaning we could make tweaks here and there and tailor its development,” aid Cordell.
Temperatures rarely climbed above freezing during the trip, and at one point it dropped to minus 10, while the Tevva engineers stopped for hydrogen refuelling in Teesside on the first leg of the journey, as well as an earlier stop in the midlands.
Engineer Ryan Clark, 25, joined Tevva two years ago after completing his engineering degree at Glasgow University and says the exercise demonstrates the direction of traffic as far as hydrogen is concerned.
“On paper, of course, the range it achieved was expected, but it’s still a great feeling, to put the prototype together and see it blasting that kind of mileage,” Clark said.
“What we’re doing here is exciting. I talk to friends who are working in automotive and typically new engineers only get the chance to shadow teams working on significant projects. At Tevva, there’s a sense of empowerment, an opportunity to get your hands dirty,”Clark said.
Tevva say its hydrogen fuel-cell range extension technology enables its vehicles to do all the work of diesel, with peace of mind about cost, range, and environmental impact.
By adding hydrogen into the energy mix, Tevva says delivers a solution that gives operators the ability to decarbonise their fleets at the pace needed by climate science and demanded by society. The company is taking a dual-energy approach to zero-emission mobility, utilising the best of battery-electric and hydrogen technology to maximise the performance of our vehicles.
the company claims it is an active player in helping build the battery-electric and hydrogen infrastructure ecosystem, and recognises that the speed and scalability of hydrogen refuelling systems will be crucial to adoption while keeping costs under control.
As low-carbon hydrogen becomes cheaper and more widely available, hydrogen refuelling will become as convenient as diesel refuelling is today. Tevva is actively working with hydrogen and refuelling station suppliers to establish low-carbon hydrogen services for customers and is leading the drive to zero-emissions freight and urban logistics.
Tevva says it is committed to making hydrogen convenient, affordable and sustainable for its customers.
