The 7.5-tonne truck can be driven for over 300 miles, according to Tevva. Diesel lorries will be banned in the UK by 2040 and the transport minister said hydrogen trucks will be “vital”.
Source Sky News
Hydrogen and electric-powered lorry’s will be mass produced in the UK by an Essex-based firm.
Tevva, based in Thurrock, has added a hydrogen fuel cell system to its battery-electric HGV design and according to the start-up the 7.5-tonne truck can be driven for up to 310 miles (500km).
Founder and chief executive Asher Bennett said: “When a zero-emission truck is doing more miles per day, that is very good for the air we breathe, for the planet and for the economics of running electric trucks.
“Every mile you drive on an electric truck, it’s so much cheaper than driving on a diesel truck.
“If you’re concerned about range, and you’re not driving a lot of miles, you’re just not saving enough money as you could.”
Hydrogen is more expensive and harder to obtain than electricity and Mr Bennett said the new lorry’s main fuel will continue to be its electric-powered battery, which is recharged overnight.
The addition of the alternative power supply will “remove the concern” that the battery could run out of power, he claimed.
“No fleet operator is going to put out a truck in the morning that is going to get anywhere near the limits of its range,” Mr Bennett said.
“Which means putting an electric truck on a much shorter range than it could have done.”
He added that the hydrogen-powered truck will become popular for fleet operators across Europe and North America.
Tevva is offering “affordable” hydrogen supplies to customers, with refuelling taking a similar time to a diesel tank.
