The British manufacturer Tevva has officially presented the first all-electric 7.5 tonne truck made in England and intended for series production in the UK. Tevva’s new electric commercial vehicle is based on a robust truck-derived chassis and will be a cornerstone for the electrification of commercial vehicles in Great Britain.
The homologation of the first English electric truck
Tevva is the first British company to obtain EC type approval for a 7.5 tonne electric truck e plans to sell up to 1,000 units in 2023. To start series production, the battery truck underwent 30 system tests, including electrical safety and electromagnetic compatibility according to the latest standards.
Tevva has been effectively testing prototypes in real conditions since 2019, supplying a fleet of 15 vehicles to UPS. The first series-produced units at the Tilbury plant in Essex will be delivered in Great Britain to customers such as Royal Mail, Expect Distribution e Travis Perkins.
Collaboration with an Italian company for testing
Codognotto Italia aims to enter medium-range electric road distribution thanks to a collaboration with Tevva Motors Limited. In 2022, the British company delivered some examples of its electric truck to allow Codognotto to carry out an operational experiment. Vehicles have carried out a regular transport service, recording data relating to the distance traveled per day, energy consumption, shift length and average speeds. This information will be used to develop a “Codognotto Duty Cycle” to personalize the vehicles destined for the Venetian company.
The performance of the electric truck produced by Tevva
The 7.5-ton British electric truck is equipped with a 105 kWh battery, which is almost double that used in a standard electric car. This allows him to have a range of up to 227 kilometres (140 miles), suitable for the needs of fleets dedicated to urban and last mile deliveries.
In the future also a hydrogen version
In 2023 Tevva Motors Limited will introduce a hydrogen electric version of its 7.5 tonne truck. This version will have a range of up to 570 kilometres (354 miles) thanks to the use of a hydrogen range-extender.
According to The Guardian, the hydrogen trucks produced by Tevva Motors Limited will be available in 12 and 19 ton models and production is expected to start in 2024 at the Tilbury factory. The project is backed by various investors including Indian joint venture Bharat Forge.
More sustainable and large-scale trucks
Asher Bennett, founder and chief executive officer of Tevva, said: “Our mission is to make sustainable trucks affordable at scale and we believe our technology it will enable the transport sector and European governments to achieve their net-zero goals. By embracing both hydrogen and electric fuel sources, we can rethink the energy mix in transportation, reduce the stress on our electric grid and accelerate the adoption of electric trucks.”
The slow ecological transition of trucks
Truck manufacturers are experiencing delays in adapting to the transition to alternative energy sources to fossil fuels compared to car manufacturers. The batteries are still too heavy and expensive to be used in trucks traveling long distances, and the current infrastructure and charging times are not suitable for these vehicles.
While not the first company to do so, Tevva is notable for producing large numbers of electric trucks in series in the UK. Other manufacturers such as DAF Trucks of the Netherlands build their 19-tonne LF Electric at their Leyland branch in Lancashire, but do not achieve such a high annual production.
In general, we are seeing a growing attention towards sustainability in the transport industry, with many truck makers working to develop hydrogen and electric vehicles, though it’s not yet clear which technology will become dominant. Mercedes-Benz has already launched an electric long-haul truck, the eActros LongHaul, while Tesla delivered its first Semis in late 2020, five years after Elon Musk unveiled the prototype.
Stop the sale of new diesel and petrol heavy commercial vehicles in the UK
The UK has set a target to end the sale of new diesel and petrol heavy commercial vehicles weighing between 3.5 and 26 tonnes by 2034 and for heavier models by 2040, as part of its plan decarbonisation targets of 2021. These targets are in line with the UK’s legal target of 2050 net-zero.
