Following on from its split with US zero emission start up Nikola earlier this year, Iveco has revealed that it will now produce and market its own heavy-duty battery electric as well as fuel cell electric vehicles under its own Iveco brand.
Back in June Iveco Group announced it had acquired full and sole ownership of the former German joint venture company, Nikola Iveco Europe, which it had previously formed with the ill-fated US company.
The company has announced that its Iveco HD BEV and FCEVs will feature an electric axle co-designed and produced by its specialist power train company, FPT Industrial (Fiat Power Train).
Iveco says its batteries will be supplied by Proterra, and the fuel cell technology and key components will come from Bosch, and trucks will be based on its S-Way platform, which has been specifically redesigned to support both fuel cell and battery propulsion technology, thanks to a modular architecture.
The Iveco claims its BEV will have a range of up to 500 km with a total battery capacity of 738 kWh (9 packs) with charging power up to 350 kW, enabling hub-to-hub delivery applications, as well as a wide range of regional work, and applications requiring extended mileage with charging opportunity during mandated driver stops.
Iveco says its Artic 4×2 configuration will be the first to enter the European market during the last quarter of 2023.
Iveco says its FCEV truck will boast a range of up to 800 km, with a fast-refuelling time of under 20 minutes, providing a solution for long-haul mission in heavy commercial transportation.
Iveco says it will accommodate 70 kg of H2 usable energy at 700-bar pressure.
Iveco says that thanks to its higher range compared to an electric vehicle, it will be a game changer in zero tailpipe emissions long-haulage applications.
The company says the first units of its HD FCEV will be delivered in France, Switzerland and Germany at end of 2023, as planned in the H2Haul European project co-financed by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, and aimed at accelerating the deployment of hydrogen solutions in the commercial transport industry and enabling the large-scale fuel cell truck market in the coming years.
Both vehicles are being produced in the Ulm manufacturing facility, which had been part of the Nikola joint venture, and is Iveco Group’s multi-brand German site.
The company says the vehicles will be marketed and supported through the Iveco dealer network of 254 sales and service outlets around Europe.
Locally Iveco says its alternative fuels and propulsion plans are progressing to schedule, with the 70C eDaily preproduction unit, which was previewed at the Brisbane Truck Show in May continuing to undergo testing at Iveco’s Customer and Innovation Centre (CIC) and on local roads.
Iveco says the first of five full production eDaily vehicles, including a combination of van and cab chassis variants will arrive in Australia and New Zealand soon, and will be placed within key customer fleets for evaluation and to gain real world operator feedback in local applications and conditions.
The additional eDaily models will also provide further opportunities for key partners to further familiarise themselves with the vehicles. These partners including several tertiary institutions, Government departments and private enterprise, who will assist Iveco with training, tooling and recharging infrastructure in support of the model roll-out.
