UK Start up Tevva who are building and delivering battery-electric 7.5t vehicle, are continuing the testing and development of their hydrogen-electric vehicles. The company has reported on a team of four Team Tevva members: Charlie Cordell, Byron Dolman, Ryan Clark and Toby Hurst who carried out an impressive “range test” of a dual-energy prototype truck. The exercise saw the team accumulate more than 1,000km (approx. 620 miles) in the 7.5t vehicle, driving between the HQ Tevva London and the UK/Scotland border at Berwick-on-Tweed (England’s most northernmost town).
According to Tevva, the return journey saw the truck cover almost 350 miles alone, without needing a single stop for recharging. This was made possible by the truck’s hydrogen fuel cell, which tops up the range-extended (Rex) vehicle’s lithium battery when needed. Lead Engineer, Tevva Rex, Charlie Cordell, said: “It was a fantastic trip and we were so pleased the truck covered so many miles on the return leg, without the need to stop for a charge.
“The trip was a terrific demonstration of the range you can achieve in a truck that uses a blended system of electric and hydrogen. The freezing conditions were extremely challenging but helpful too, in allowing us to gather important data about vehicle performance, meaning we could make tweaks and tailor its development here and there.”
Temperatures rarely climbed above freezing during the trip, and at one point it dropped to minus 10. The Tevva engineers stopped off for hydrogen refuelling at Element 2 in Teeside on the first leg of the journey, as well as an earlier stop in the Midlands.
Element 2 are currently building a national infrastructure of hydrogen refuelling sites.
Chief Development Officer Dr Andrew Hagan said: “Providing the hydrogen for this significant journey is a proud moment. The superior range on this fuel cell vehicle is a comfort and reassurance for organisations ordering new vehicles and updating their fleets.
“We are building refuelling stations where needed most and removing diesel from our roads. This infrastructure will enable Tevva truck drivers to go the distance.”
Engineer Ryan Clark, 25, joined Tevva two years ago after completing his engineering degree at Glasgow University.
He says the range test had its hiccups but adds that the exercise demonstrates the direction of traffic as far as hydrogen is concerned.
“On paper, of course, the range it achieved was expected”, he said. “But it’s still a great feeling to put the prototype together and see it blasting that kind of mileage.
“What we’re doing here is exciting, I talk to friends who are working in automotive and typically new engineers only get the chance to shadow teams working on significant projects. So at Tevva, there’s a sense of empowerment, an opportunity to get your hands dirty.
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