British electric truck start up manufacturer, Tevva has announced it has successfully completed development of the regenerative braking system on its 7.5t battery-electric truck, part of which involved working with global supplier ZF to integrate its Electronic Brake System (EBS) for use in zero-emission Tevva electric trucks.
In what is another clear indication that ZF is aggressively pursuing zero emission drive opportunities with manufacturers, ther Tevva deal comes hot on the heels of the deal announced wth Isuzu trucks recently
ZF’s Commercial Vehicle Solutions is said to be the world’s largest supplier to the commercial vehicle industry claiming it offers solutions for vehicle motion control, integrated safety, automated driving, and electric mobility.
Tevva said ZF worked with it to adapt its EBS for deployment in the 7.5t battery electric truck – which uses a blend of regenerative and compressed air brakes to add an extra layer of safety and responsiveness for drivers.
Tevva’s engineers claim to have successfully met a range of testing criteria for the company’s truck to receive ZF’s approval, working on fine-tuning the electric truck’s vehicle control unit (VCU) and enhance compatibility with the EBS.
The result Tevva says is a system that recuperates up to four times* more energy than a conventional compressed air brake systems, optimising the range of the Tevva. Testing of the adapted system, which took place at the ZF test track at Jeversen, in Germany, involved a variety of conditions, gradients and surface types.
Technological advancements allow a modern EBS system to control the blending of friction braking with the e-motor, reducing brake wear and tear. The system transfers the driver’s deceleration request electronically to all braking system components to shorten response time, balance brake forces and provide ease of braking and efficient brake management.
ZF’s , head of Commercial Vehicle EMEA application engineering for braking and ADAS, Heiko Eggers said ZF’s broad product portfolio, including its standardised Electronic Braking System, enables faster time-to-market for new, innovative market players such as Tevva.
“Tevva’s commitment and agile engineering expertise allowed us to meet our stringent safety requirements and complete our project and we look forward to seeing the first Tevva trucks on the road,” Eggers said.
Tevva’s lead engineer for drive and brake systems, Uzair Jilani, said the company has worked hard to secure a ringing endorsement from arguably one of the world’s most significant Tier 1 suppliers.
“Working with ZF is a crucial step in the momentum we are building as a truck manufacturer. The system has been adapted for use with our regen system; when the brake pedal is pushed, most of the ‘braking’ is handled by regen, meaning that the drive system slows the vehicle down,” Jilani said.
“The conventional braking system is still needed to bring the truck to a complete stop, but this double layer of safety is an excellent aid to more efficient driving. It also means that the hardware undergoes less strain to extend the braking system’s life in the long run,” he added.
Mass production of Tevva’s 7.5 tonne battery-electric truck started at the company’s London facility this year, and this truck will be followed by a 7.5t hydrogen-fuel cell electric truck, which uses a hydrogen fuel cell range-extender to enhancesvehicle range to570 km. The Tevva BEV offers up to 227 kilometres from its 105-kWh battery on a single charge and is ideal for last-mile and urban delivery fleets.
