Tevva unveils 19-ton hydrogen-electric truck

British carmaker Tevva has unveiled a 19-tonne variant of its hydrogen-electric truck as the company continues to lead the charge to commercialize hydrogen-powered vehicles.

The new model, unveiled today at the IAA Transportation show in Germany, follows the launch of Tevva’s first hydrogen-electric 7.5-tonne truck in June.

Like the smaller model, the 19-ton Tevva truck has a range of up to 310 miles (500 km).

Hydrogen technology is still a nascent field, with only a few hydrogen-powered vehicles currently on the market.

Hydrogen fuel cells combine oxygen and hydrogen atoms to produce electricity, with water and a small amount of heat as byproducts instead of harmful emissions.

The main advantage of incorporating hydrogen into an electric truck is the low energy density, which reduces the weight of the system compared to a traditional battery. Some believe this has great potential for fleets of trucks that frequently undertake long-distance journeys.

However, a fully hydrogen powered vehicle is not yet viable on UK roads as hydrogen fuel is not widely available at petrol stations.

Asher Bennett, CEO and founder of Tevva, said UKTN: “We are not waiting for the infrastructure to be available. We’re helping to build the infrastructure because that’s the best way to accomplish our important mission.”

Tevva’s trucks use an on-board computer to switch between hydrogen and electric power, for example when the battery is above a certain temperature.

Bennett added: “You might not have access to hydrogen from time to time, but at least you’ll have all the electricity.”

Production of the larger truck model has begun at Tevva’s UK plant, with plans for a second European facility to double production capacity to 6,000 trucks per year by 2024.

Last week Tilbury, the London-based company the first 7.5 ton electric truck rolled off the production line of customer Kinaxia Logistics.

In June, Tevva raised £41 million to build its all-electric and electric hydrogen 7.5-tonne trucks.

Asked if Tevva was looking to raise fresh outside capital, Bennett said UKTN that this is something the company is always open to.

Tevva is one of many British companies harnessing the power of hydrogen technology. By 2030, the government aims to 10 GW of low-carbon hydrogen production capacity as part of its hydrogen strategy in the UK