UK-based startup Tevva launches hydrogen-electric truck

U.Okay.-based startup Tevva on Thursday launched a hydrogen-electric heavy items automobile, turning into the most recent firm to make a play in a sector attracting curiosity from multinationals like Daimler Truck and Volvo.

In accordance with Tevva, which says it has raised $140 million in funding, its automobile can have a spread of as a lot as 310 miles, or just below 500 kilometers.

Refilling the hydrogen tanks will take 10 minutes whereas charging the battery “from totally depleted to 100%” will take 5 to 6 hours.

The corporate’s first hydrogen-electric truck will weigh 7.5 metric tons, with later variations deliberate to weigh 12 and 19 metric tons.

In a press release, Tevva sought to clarify the rationale behind combining a gas cell and battery. “The gas cell system tops up the battery, extending the automobile’s vary and permitting the truck to hold heavier hundreds over longer distances.”

Alongside its hydrogen-electric truck, the enterprise has additionally developed an electrical truck that it says has a spread of as much as 160 miles. Particulars of each the electrical and hydrogen-electric vans had been beforehand introduced by Tevva.

In an interview with CNBC’s “Avenue Indicators Europe” on Thursday, Tevva CEO Asher Bennett was requested whether or not his firm was trying to diversify into smaller autos.

“We’re not all for creating the smaller vans or the pickup vans,” Bennett mentioned. “These are, in lots of cases, very related expertise to the bigger EV sedans, which work very effectively,” he added.

“We’re very centered on the heavy items vans and we’re slowly going heavier and heavier as a result of these are the segments which might be a lot more durable to impress.”

With governments all over the world trying to cut back the environmental footprint of transportation, plenty of firms within the trucking sector are exploring methods to develop low and zero-emission autos, together with ones that use hydrogen.

Final month, Volvo Vehicles mentioned it started to check autos that use “gas cells powered by hydrogen,” with the Swedish agency claiming their vary may prolong to as a lot as 1,000 kilometers, or a bit over 621 miles.

Gothenburg-headquartered Volvo Vehicles mentioned refueling of the autos would take below quarter-hour. Buyer pilots are set to start within the subsequent few years, with commercialization “deliberate for the latter a part of this decade.”

Alongside hydrogen gas cell autos, Volvo Vehicles — which is a part of the Volvo Group — has additionally developed battery-electric vans.

Like Volvo Vehicles and Tevva, Daimler Truck is specializing in each battery-electric autos and ones that use hydrogen.

In an interview with CNBC final 12 months, Martin Daum, chairman of the board of administration at Daimler Truck, was requested in regards to the debate between battery-electric and hydrogen gas cells.

“We go for each as a result of each … make sense,” he replied, earlier than explaining how completely different applied sciences could be acceptable in numerous eventualities.

Whereas there may be pleasure in some quarters in regards to the potential of hydrogen-powered autos, there are hurdles in the case of increasing the sector, not least in the case of the event of satisfactory refueling infrastructure. The best way hydrogen is produced can also be a problem.

Each of those factors have been acknowledged by Volvo Vehicles in June when it pointed to challenges together with the “large-scale provide of inexperienced hydrogen” in addition to “the truth that refueling infrastructure for heavy autos is but to be developed.”

Hydrogen could be produced in plenty of methods. One methodology contains utilizing electrolysis, with an electrical present splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen.

If the electrical energy used on this course of comes from a renewable supply equivalent to wind or photo voltaic then some name it “inexperienced” or “renewable” hydrogen. At the moment, the overwhelming majority of hydrogen technology is predicated on fossil fuels.

For its half, Tevva mentioned it might assist its prospects “entry sustainable and reasonably priced hydrogen provides safely and conveniently, alongside their buy or lease of Tevva Hydrogen Vehicles.”