Tilbury, England. March 2023: British electric vehicle manufacturer Tevva has secured government plug-in truck grant (PITrG) eligibility for its 7.5t battery-electric truck. UK organizations looking to decarbonize operations and future-proof their fleets will benefit from a potential £16,000 ($26,260 CAD) discount, removed from the purchase price by Tevva. The current maximum Canadian EV amount is $5,000CAD.
To be eligible for the grant, N2 vehicles :trucks that weigh between 5-12 tonnes must have a CO2 emissions figure of at least 50 percent less than the conventional equivalent vehicle that can carry the same capacity and can travel at least 60 miles without any tailpipe emissions at all. (In the UK, a ton = 2,200 pounds and in Canada a ton is metric and = 2,000 pounds.) Tevva’s 7.5t battery-electric truck offers up to 140 miles (227 kilometers) from its 105-kWh battery on a single charge, and is ideal for last-mile and urban delivery fleets.
The Tevva 7.5t battery-electric truck is the only vehicle from a British manufacturer to qualify for the PITrG, and becomes only the third eligible truck to be listed on the government website. The grant pays for 20 percent of the purchase price, up to a maximum of £16,000 ($26,260 CAD) , reducing Tevva 7.5t battery-electric truck total cost of ownership (TCO),
This news follows hot on the heels of another significant company milestone in January, when Tevva secured European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA) for its 7.5t battery-electric truck. This meant that Tevva could start producing and selling in volume across the UK and Europe and represented the key regulatory step in the development and commercialization of the Tevva business.
Tevva Founder and CEO Asher Bennett said: “We know first-hand that demand for electric trucks is growing at speed, as we have been inundated with requests for our 7.5t battery-electric truck since going into full production last month. Now we are able to offer UK organisations a noticeable discount, thanks to the government grant, which will surely make zero emission trucking even more appealing to fleets.”
Tevva’s 7.5t battery-electric truck will be followed by a 7.5t hydrogen-electric truck, which benefits from a hydrogen range-extender that enhances vehicle range to up to 354 miles (570 km). The hydrogen-electric truck recently completed a 620-mile ‘border run’ 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.
[What about] The unanswered questions about battery power
As we rush towards meeting the prime minister’s imposed deadline of ending production of fossil fuel vehicles by 2030, many unanswered questions remain.
In case you missed it, Toyota was recently under fire when company president Akio Toyoda questioned if EVs should be pursued as the only option for car buyers. According to Derek Burney of the National Post, “Toyoda would prefer to offer a variety of environmentally friendly, hybrid-electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles along with more traditional gas-powered automobiles.”
His concern was that there are parts of the world where the electric charging infrastructure is not sufficient and the electricity that is available in some countries is generated from fossil fuel sources. Makes sense to me, but not to the fund managers who attacked him and attempted to have him removed from his position.
For those who aren’t aware, Toyota is not a slacker in the battery-powered vehicle department. In fact, the company recently made headlines by the announcement it had developed a solid-state battery which may be an alternative to lithium. It is also a leader in the availability of hybrid vehicles.
My takeaway from this is why we aren’t allowed to discuss alternatives, like hydrogen, and admit there are places where plugging in a car isn’t practical? Concerns have been raised about the scarcity of chargers in northern Ontario where there are long distances between communities.
I have also been puzzling over the whole issue of the huge amount of government subsidy being poured into building two battery plants in Ontario. On one hand, an argument could be made that companies will locate in another location where subsidies are being offered, but on the other hand what about more subsidies for small business still struggling or for agriculture?
Currently, Ontario municipalities for road maintenance receive thousands of dollars each year from the 9-cents-per-liter Ontario fuel tax for road maintenance receive thousands of dollars each year from the 9-cents-per-liter Ontario fuel tax. What is the future of that funding with reduced gasoline consumption? Will a similar tax be added to electricity bills?
Then there’s the whole issue of the future. What if a better alternative is found to plug-in batteries in 10 years, or 20 years? I don’t know this will happen, but it might. For instance, can these plants adapt to the solid state battery Toyota is talking about? Maybe the future is in hydrogen and batteries in vehicles will be a thing of the past in 20 years? I think of the subsidies given to Siemens to build wind turbines in Ontario and the fact that the company packed up and left once the push to build more wind turbines dried up in Ontario.
And dare I raise the whole issue of gasoline-powered vehicles in the fields and on the water? Both farmers and boaters are known to use vehicles for much longer than passenger automobiles are on the road. It’s safe to say all the tractors, combines and boats in Haldimand-Norfolk can’t be converted to electric. What is the future for agriculture, commercial fishing and recreational boating?
All of this is not to say that I am opposed to electric vehicles. My concern is there are still many unanswered questions. In the quest to push for a conversion before it may be practical, and the single-mindedness of environment saviours, there could be some serious consequences. What those are, only the future will tell.
Bobbi Ann Brady MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk.