Electric commercial vehicle technology pioneer, Tevva, has launched a new initiative designed to enable logistics fleets to commence electrification of medium duty HGVs as soon as Spring next year
Unveiled at today’s Freight in the City expo at Alexandra Palace, the ELECTRIFY programme allows companies to take the first step by deploying Tevva’s unique package of EV technologies – including bespoke battery packs and management system, advanced cloud-based software that uses geofencing to autonomously control a range extender – on its in-service, medium duty trucks.
The initiative is being spearheaded by seven companies based between London and Oxford who, as early adopters, are committing to being part of the first ELECTRIFY cohort and will be taking delivery of a collective total of eight eTrucks packed with Tevva’s ready-made EV solutions. Availability for future cohorts will soon open up.
Targeting companies from a wide range of urban distribution sectors, including food, healthcare and janitorial services, the Commercial EV Technology Fleet has been set up to demonstrate in a real-world environment the safety, reliability and durability credentials of Tevva’s four core pillars of proprietary technology.
The initiative also aims to help drive confidence in EV technology as logistics firms look to lower total cost of fleet ownership, comply with current and future emissions regulations and address their carbon footprint and impact on air quality and climate change.
David Thackray, Tevva Sales and Marketing Director, said: “When Tevva was founded in 2013, the question that businesses were asking was whether or not electric trucks could displace diesel in the commercial vehicle sector. The question today is ‘when’ they will displace diesel.
“The electrification of the commercial vehicle sector is now inevitable and it’s now simply a question of how quickly it will happen. The answer is that it will happen sooner than most people think.
“The big players in the transport industry already see the benefits, opportunities and potential of technology like ours but too many businesses in the UK and across Europe still have a relatively low level of awareness. ELECTRIFY will enable a better understanding and increased adoption to accelerate significantly by proving beyond any possible doubt in real-world environments that logistics electrification technology is ready to displace diesel now.
“This is crucially important for the planet – the climate emergency is shockingly real and it won’t wait for industry to catch up, which is why we are doing everything we can to move things on with the alacrity required.”
The ELECTRIFY demo fleet is expected to number around 50 vehicles, with vehicles being available to purchase from Q3/Q4 in 2020.
Over the next two years, the ELECTRIFY programme’s 50 vehicles will be deployed across over 200 fleets in at least five countries, amassing an estimated 4 million km that will prove that businesses can save up to 20% on TCO but also have an environmentally effective solution.
“What we want ELECTRIFY to do is put to bed the argument over how this technology can enable electric vehicles to truly displace diesel from an operational, environmental and economic perspective.”
The Tevva initiative offers participating companies a three or six-month trial period, during which the customer can integrate a 12-tonne GVW electric truck incorporating all of Tevva’s core technologies into their regular fleet operations – without compromise.
The co-liveried truck is rented by the customer, running an unlimited mileage deployment with the vehicle over the period of the demonstration, during which Tevva will provide detailed telematics data to show all operational elements, such as mileage completed, energy consumed, grid energy used and range extender fuel consumption vs energy generated.
Tevva will also provide customers with all necessary training for their technicians and drivers to ensure safety during the trial and optimise the benefits of the on-board technologies.
With the shared learning and data generated by participation in the ELECTRIFY programme, businesses can not only help prove the real-world performance of the technology to the wider market, but also benefit from the option to retain the vehicle at the end of the trial period and priority ordering and build slots for any further vehicles they wish to purchase.
Tevva’s proprietary technologies cover the battery pack, battery management, drive system and range extender and include a state-of-the-art vehicle control and telematics system which safely manages the vehicle and enables low running costs by optimising use of the battery and range extender.
Tevva’s next-generation electric motors are designed and built using no rare earth materials, while the company works with a third party to ensure that end-of-life batteries are repurposed in a fully sustainable way.
Meanwhile, for back-to-base delivery applications, the operator benefits from a lower total cost of ownership, zero or near-zero emissions, low noise levels, no range anxiety and a superior driver experience.
For more information about the ELECTRIFY programme, visit www.tevva.com
