Tevva, a British startup that specializes in developing commercial electric vehicles, has launched its first truck with a hydrogen booster with a range of up to 310 miles (499 km).
Tevva has raised $140 million from investors and will start producing the fully electric 7.5 tonne truck by the end of this year.
Tevva targets production of a hydrogen fuel cell version of the 7.5-ton truck by 2023. After that, the Tilbury-based startup will produce 12-ton and 19-ton models.
See also: Volvo unveils trucks with fuel cells powered by hydrogen
“We’re big believers in this dual-energy approach because batteries alone don’t always serve the needs of all our customers,” Tevva chief executive Asher Bennett told Reuters. “Batteries are heavy so can eat into payload and charging very large batteries is not always easy.”
Hydrogen fuel cells are seen by some trucking industry practitioners as a long-term solution for commercial vehicles. This is because the weight is much lighter than the battery.
The constraint is the infrastructure for producing “green” hydrogen with renewable energy and fueling stations, which will likely not exist until the 2030s.
See also: Daimler Truck testing new fuel-cell truck prototype with liquid hydrogen
Harsh Pershad, Tevva’s head of hydrogen, said the company is working closely with providers of hydrogen refueling options for fleet customers.
