“The fuel cell is the battery’s liberator, not its nemesis.” So says London-based EV maker Tevva, who has devised a formula to make love and peace between the clashing worlds of EV batteries and hydrogen fuel cell technology. The company’s newly launched battery-electric truck features a fuel cell range extender to get through the workday with maximum efficiency and lowest costs.
Hydrogen fuel cell truck of the future not ready for prime time, in 2016
Tevva sailed across the CleanTechnica radar in 2016, when it came up with the idea of Using EV batteries and diesel to power an electric truck. The idea was to reserve the battery’s range for urban areas and other sensitive locations, with a diesel range extender that fills the gaps for longer distances, in areas where traffic and congestion don’t allow diesel fumes to build up.
“The new extended-range electric truck weighs approximately 7.5 tonnes, is manufactured by the Chinese company JAC and has an all-electric range of 130 kilometers (~80 miles), a much greater absolute range once the diesel range extender is installed. included, and can be recharged in about 3 hours from a high-power three-phase outlet,” explained CleanTechnica’s James Ayre.
If that sounds like a less than ideal solution, it was. However, given the state of both the EV battery and fuel cell technology at the time, it was an improvement over the diesel-powered internal combustion scenario.
Here comes the electric truck of the future, with a hydrogen fuel cell
Well, that was then. Seven years later, Tevva Motors (formerly Teva Motors) is shifting the diesel angle in favor of hydrogen fuel cell technology. Tevva’s new electric trucks have an electric motor developed in collaboration with the company Advanced electrical machines, which provides the company with a juicy green marketing corner. The new motor avoids rare earth magnets, freeing Tevva from association with the environmental impacts of rare earth mining.
Tevva also mentions the following advantages of its rare earth-free engines:
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- Cost – rare earths are both expensive and price volatile – Between March 2020 and March 2021, the cost of neodymium (the main rare earth element used in engines) has increased by 240%.
- Motor Complexity – Permanent magnet motors containing rare earths have a much greater need for cooling than motors without rare earths, resulting in more complex design and higher costs.
- Efficiency – a more efficient motor means more range from a given battery size. The faster you can run a motor, the more efficient it will be. At higher speeds, however, motors containing rare-earth metals will have problems holding them to the fast-spinning rotor.
Tevva also notes that rare-earth motors require a compensating electric current to counteract the magnetic field. Combined with the other factors, the result of discarding rare earth metals is an efficiency gain of up to 12%.
Where does the hydrogen fuel cell come in?
The corner of the hydrogen fuel cell surfaced on June 30, when Tevva announced that its new 7.5-ton electric truck with a range of up to 500 kilometers will be the “first hydrogen fuel cell-assisted heavy-duty truck (HGV) to be manufactured, designed and delivered.” mass production in the UK.”
“Hydrogen has been used safely for years in buses and other vehicles in more than twenty countries and has a higher energy density than lithium-ion batteries or even diesel,” Tevva noted. “These properties make it particularly attractive for use in larger, commercial vehicles.
“By adding a hydrogen fuel cell system to its battery-electric truck design, Tevva is delivering zero-emission solutions that will work for the vast majority of fleet operators across a wide range of industries and sectors. The fuel cell system supplements the battery, increasing the vehicle’s range and allowing the truck to carry heavier loads over longer distances,” they explained.
Other truck manufacturers are marketing trucks that rely solely on hydrogen fuel cells, but Tevva appears to have seen an opportunity to cut costs by combining fuel cells and batteries.
“One benefit of using the fuel cell as a range extender, rather than as a primary power source, is that it allows Tevva to supply smaller, cheaper and lighter fuel cells and operate them with the highest possible efficiency,” they enthuse.
Another important consideration for the shipping and logistics industry is time. While EV battery charging times are decreasing, they have yet to match the convenience of a quick liquid fuel refill. The Tevva truck is designed to match the fueling time of a comparable diesel truck, which they estimate at 5-20 minutes.
Sustainable hydrogen for the fuel cell of the future
If you’re wondering where all that hydrogen comes from, that’s a good question. As part of its customer service package, Tevva refers to “sustainable and affordable hydrogen stocks.”
“Tevva is taking on board a variety of hydrogen suppliers that can provide innovative and hydrogen services to meet the needs of our growing customer base,” they explain.
Tevva CEO and founder Asher Bennett also hinted at sustainable hydrogen, stating: “We firmly believe that the future of post-fossil fuels, which is fast approaching, will put a new range of technologies and fuels at the heart of the transportation industry.”
Given that most of the global hydrogen supply today comes from natural gas (and to some extent coal and industrial waste), that’s quite a tall order.
On the positive side, the green H2 market is exploding. Europe is already a key epicenter of green H2 activityand a green H2 movement stirs in the Baltic Sea. Ukraine also uses its potential as a green H2 exporterto promote its admission to the European Union.
There is a good chance that Tevva and other stakeholders in the fuel cell will have a large stock of sustainable hydrogen in house in the coming years.
All hands on deck for hydrogen fuel cell trucks
Who knows, maybe the fuel cell and green hydrogen markets will provide a way back home to the UK. Don’t hold your breath! Meanwhile, the UK is determined to make progress on its own. the nations Advanced Propulsion Center provided funding and collaboration resources to develop Tevva’s new truck, as part of its mission to reduce the cost of carbon-free mobility devices.
“The launch of this truck, with its hydrogen fuel cell range extender, is an exciting result of the APC-funded project to completely eliminate CO2 at the tailpipe and lower the total cost of ownership compared to existing diesel vehicles,” said Zoe Hall, Head of Competitions and Projects at APC. “This smart zero-emission vehicle, with rare-earth metal-free electric motors, has the potential to make the transport of heavy goods more sustainable.”
You too, VS
As for US automakers, a leading industry stakeholder once compared the famous hydrogen fuel cells to bull-poo, among many other predictions chewing the headlines. Nevertheless, it looks like the fuel cell/battery mashup is headed for the US.
Half of the company behind the hydrogen fuel cell is a global company Loop energywhich followed last week by announcing an agreement of more than $12 million to supply its hydrogen fuel cell technology to Tevva until next year.
“As a result of the agreement, which runs through 2024, Tevva will become the first customer to enter the full production phase of Loop Energy’s customer acceptance cycle,” said Loop.
“The zero-emission commercial vehicle market continues to evolve rapidly, and this supply agreement with Tevva puts Loop Energy on the path not only to technology leadership, but also to market leadership in fuel cells,” added Loop.
Loop already has a significant presence in the US and Canada, as well as in Europe and the EU. If all goes according to plan, the new Tevva truck could make its way to American shores, bull shit or not.
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Photo: New electric truck with hydrogen fuel cell and battery, courtesy of Tevva via businesswire.com.
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