British company Tevva unveils hydrogen-powered truck

According to foreign media reports, on June 30, British commercialelectric vehiclestart-up Tevva launched its first truck with a hydrogen fuel cell. The truck has a range of 310 miles (about 499 kilometers), which will provide Fleet operators offer longer zero-emission range.

Headquartered in Tilbury, England, Tevva, which has raised $140 million to date, will start producing an all-electric version of the 7.5-ton truck later this year.The company said it will start producing a hydrogen fuel cell version of the 7.5-ton truck in 2023, followed by 12-ton and 19-ton models.

Asher Bennett, CEO of Tevva, said: “We believe in this dual-energy approach because batteries alone cannot meet all customer needs. Batteries are heavy, so it affects the truck’s payload, and charging a large battery is not an option. It's not an easy thing."

Image credit: Tevva

Hydrogen fuel cells are seen by some in the truck industry as a long-range solution because they are much lighter than regular batteries.However, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will require infrastructure to produce "green" hydrogen, which won't be in place until after 2030.Harsh Pershad, head of hydrogen-powered vehicles at Tevva, said the company is working with suppliers to bring hydrogen fuel to fleet customers.

Over the past few years, investors have been looking for the next Tesla, pouring money into electric car startups.However, as traditional automakers start producing electric vans and trucks, start-ups are looking for a competitive or technological edge to stay in their place.

Earlier this month, U.S. commercial electric vehicle startup Electric Last Mile Solutions launched bankruptcy proceedings due to a lack of funding.Another electric car maker, Canoo, also warned investors in May that the company may not be able to meet its financial obligations and cast "serious doubts" about its ability to continue as a going concern.