The British electric truck developer Tevva has started series production of its battery-electric 7.5-tonners in Tilbury (Essex). The first series model has already been delivered – to the company Kinaxia Logistics. At the IAA, there will be information on the planned European rollout.
According to Tevva, the 7.5-tonne truck achieves a range of up to 110 miles (180 kilometres) in pure electric mode, and up to 272 miles (440 kilometres) with the fuel cell range extender activated. The e-truck is available in right- and left-hand drive.
When Tevva first unveiled the 7.5-tonne truck with the FC range extender in September 2021, it was still said that production would start in July 2022. In view of the global supply chain problems and the well-known challenges of a production ramp-up for start-ups, the two-month delay seems rather small – provided Tevva can subsequently keep production running and scale it up.
After all, according to the plans, expansion is to take place soon: The 7.5-tonne truck is only the first model in an entire family of trucks with this drive concept. In addition to the familiar model, a 12-tonne truck and a 19-tonne variant are planned. Tevva plans to present the latter at the IAA Transportation in the coming week.
At the fair in Hanover, the company will also announce details of its plans for continental Europe. This will probably also involve new production facilities: For the announcement states that the company is committed to a “build where we sell” philosophy.
In the communication on the start of production, Tevva also gives some insights into the testing phase. During heat tests in Spain’s Sierra Nevada, the 7.5-tonne truck, loaded with a 2.5-tonne load, repeatedly drove down mountain passes with altitudes of up to 2,500 metres. There is said to have been “no noticeable drop in performance”. Incidentally, this was also the result of the cold-weather tests in Finland, 300 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle.
Keyword: Tevva launches production and deliveries of its electric trucks