Tevva hydrogen-electric truck clocks up 350 miles in wintry range test

While Tevva’s focus remains trained on building and delivering its battery-electric 7.5t vehicle, testing and development of its hydrogen-electric counterpart continues apace.

Four Tevva engineers: Charlie Cordell, Byron Dolman, Ryan Clark and Toby Hurst were doing exactly that recently, with a ‘range test’ of Tevva’s dual-energy prototype truck. The exercise saw the foursome accumulate more than 1,000km (approximately 620 miles) in the 7.5t hydrogen-electric vehicle, driving between Tevva’s London HQ and the Scottish border at Berwick-on-Tweed – England’s most northernmost town.

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 an amazing 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 here and there and tailor its development.”

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 Teesside on the first leg of the journey, as well as an earlier stop in the midlands. Element 2 is currently building a national infrastructure of hydrogen refuelling sites.

The company’s 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.”