Commercial EV startup from Britain, Tevva on Thursday launched its first truck with a hydrogen fuel cell booster which can drive up to 499 km and provide a greater zero-emission range. Tilbury, England-based Tevva has so far raised $140 million from investors and later this year will launch production of a fully-electric version of its 7.5-tonne truck.
“We are excited to launch our hydrogen-electric HGV, creating a landmark moment for Tevva and UK manufacturing. We firmly believe that the post-fossil fuel future, which is quickly approaching, will see a new range of technologies and fuels take centre stage in the transport industry,” said Tevva CEO and founder Asher Bennett. “By embracing hydrogen, we are futureproofing ourselves, our clients and the industries and communities they operate in. We also pride ourselves on the fact that our vehicles are safe, reliable and go the distance. Combined with our commitment to customer service, we believe that Tevva’s hydrogen-electric truck will be a popular choice for fleet operators across the UK, Europe and eventually North America.”
The first fleet of trucks will weigh around 7.5-tonnes, with 12- and 19-tonne variants to follow. While Tevva announced that refilling the hydrogen tanks will take between 5 to 20 minutes, charging the batteries will take between 5-6 hours. Alongside its 24/7 customer support, Tevva will also offer hydrogen services to customers, helping them to access sustainable and affordable supplies safely and conveniently, alongside their purchase or lease of Tevva Hydrogen Trucks.
Hydrogen fuel-cell cars need infrastructure to produce “green” hydrogen using renewable energy and fuelling stations, which are unlikely to be in place until the 2030s. Harsh Pershad, Tevva’s head of hydrogen, said the startup is working with providers of hydrogen fuelling options for fleet customers.
In the last few years, investors trying to become the next Tesla invested billions of dollars into EV startups. But as automakers prepare to roll out electric vans and trucks, startups are approaching a competitive or technological edge to stay afloat.
