Tevva is an electric truck startup founded in 2013 that has just announced it has begun production of its very first vehicle, a 7.5-tonne (16,500-pound) delivery truck in the United Kingdom. The plan is to sell 1,000 vehicles this year, including to the Royal Mail, as well as home improvement retailer Travis Perkins, among others.
Next year it also wants to begin production of a 19-tonne (41,890-pound) hydrogen fuel cell truck, which it plans to sell not only in the UK, but also Europe and eventually the United States too. The company unveiled its first vehicle back in July of 2022 and so far it has raised $140-million in capital.
Gallery: Tevva Electric Truck Production Start
It has actually been testing prototypes in real-world conditions since 2019 as it ran a fleet of 15 prototype electric delivery trucks in partnership with UPS in the UK. The truck has a relatively small 105 kWh LFP battery pack that’s good for up to 140 miles (225 km) on one charge.
That’s more than adequate since it has been envisioned as a last-mile delivery solution. Later in 2023, Tevva says it also intends to begin production of a hydrogen fuel cell range extender version of the truck. Its range should increase to 354 miles (570 km), making it a more versatile vehicle that’s suited for more roles.
Charging to 90 percent via its on-board 22 kW charger takes 5 hours, while refilling the 9-kilogram hydrogen tank takes 10 minutes.
Propelling the truck is a 192 kW (257-horsepower) motor whose peak torque output is rated at 596 Nm (439 pound-feet). No additional power options are offered at the moment, and with this output the truck may not be especially brisk when fully laden with another almost 3 tonnes on board.
The truck was designed to be able to accommodate 16 euro pallets and Tevva says it offers total ownership costs that are comparable to a regular diesel truck of the same size. According to Tevva Founder and CEO Asher Bennett,
We continue to ‘charge on’ as a company and reach new milestones, with type approval being the latest and most important landmark we’ve achieved to date. I am incredibly proud of our team who have worked tirelessly to secure this certification and get our 7.5t electric truck in customers’ hands and on the roads.
By embracing both hydrogen and electric fuel sources, we can rethink the energy mix in transport, reduce strain on our electricity grid and accelerate electric truck adoption.
The trucks will be built at Tevva's own facility in Tilbury near London.
