Tag Archives: trucker

Canada Take Note: UK Needs Hydrogen to Achieve its Net Zero Goals?

The UK Hydrogen Strategy estimates that to meet Net Zero aims by 2050, hydrogen will make up 20-35% of the UK’s final energy demand (250-460 TWh a year). Hydrogen therefore has a critical role to play in the decarbonization of industry, power, heat and transport.

Yet in this recent report, the UK Hydrogen Champion found that there is a need for greater clarity on upcoming policy decisions for hydrogen users, the funding available and overall delivery of the hydrogen roadmap to 2030 and beyond. Is the UK (and for that matter what about here in Canada? CP) really doing everything it can to maintain momentum and realize hydrogen opportunities?

Tevva’s area of expertise – transport – will have a critical role to play in the United Kingdom’s decarbonization goals. Worldwide around a fifth of CO2 emissions comes from trucks, and both McKinsey and the Hydrogen Council believe the most competitive use of hydrogen lies in decarbonizing trucks. Trucks using batteries or hydrogen fuel cells instead of diesel engines will indeed need to make up the vast majority of new sales by 2040 under plans to reduce CO2 emissions from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Yet only around 700 trucks that run on batteries or fuel cells were sold in Europe last year – about 0.2% of the total.

The good news is that the economics of owning and operating electric and hydrogen trucks, their total cost of ownership or TCO, are improving rapidly. And with diesel truck prices set to increase with Euro 7, electrification of our sector could happen sooner than previously thought.

Yet there are still serious challenges around the lack of hydrogen refueling stations and the fact that most fleet operators have no experience of hydrogen, in addition many hydrogen suppliers have no experience of truck fleets.

As an early adopter and developer of hydrogen technology, Tevva is playing an important role in demonstrating the potential for hydrogen electric trucks. We showcased our concept prototype 7.5t and 19t hydrogen electric trucks at the IAA in Hanover last year and have been encouraged by the high level of interest in these dual energy vehicles.

In January we took the 7.5t prototype on a ‘border run’ to Berwick-on-Tweed, England’s northernmost town. On the way up we stopped at an Element 2 refueling station in Teesside, and the return journey saw us cover almost 350 miles without needing to stop at all. This was made possible by the truck’s hydrogen fuel cell which tops up the range-extended vehicle’s lithium battery when needed.

Still, there is an urgent need for a more comprehensive hydrogen refueling network in the UK, and the speed and scalability of hydrogen refueling systems will be crucial to adoption while keeping costs under control. Element 2 is doing great work in this space. They are in the process of putting a skeleton network in place with 100 miles between each refueling station, giving confidence to any haulage company that is considering hydrogen electric trucks.

Today the UK has pockets of Megawatt (MW)-scale hydrogen activities that are evolving alongside ambitious proposals for Gigawatt (GW)-scale low carbon hydrogen clusters by 2030. Learning from initiatives in Europe, Asia and North America, as well as the UK’s own experiences, coordination is vital to minimize costs and maximize the benefits of hydrogen infrastructure. The opportunity is now for UK central, regional and local Government bodies and industry to plan and invest jointly to grow hydrogen transport systems holistically.

The UK does have a supportive and growing hydrogen ecosystem with many public bodies, new and established companies, universities, and others building their hydrogen capabilities and strategies. However, the experience of individual organizations and maturity of cross-industry collaboration in dealing with hydrogen systems is typically orders of magnitude lower than for traditional fossil fuel systems. Therefore, in the short term early adopters need more support to overcome the limited infrastructure and complexity of supply chains, higher unit costs, and long or uncertain lead times for hydrogen products and services.  

As low-carbon hydrogen becomes cheaper and more widely available, hydrogen refueling has the potential to become as simple as diesel refueling is today. We are committed to making hydrogen convenient, affordable and sustainable for truck fleet operators. Achieving the UK’s net zero goals depends on it. For the Silo, Harsh Pershad, Head of Hydrogen at Tevva.

ODDBALL CINEMA: CONVOY

Errrr breaker one. This here’s the Rubber Duck.

CONVOY (1978): Maybe because I knew that director Sam Peckinpah was pretty much reaching new depths of being an irresponsible drug-addled drunk during production, that I figured maybe it would show in this movie, and maybe that’s why I’ve avoided it for so long.


I mean, it’s one thing to have that kind of thing seep into your films about violent assholes defeated-by/defiant-at life, but it seems like something that would fuck up what should otherwise be a fun movie about truckers outrunning the law — based on a fuckin’ hit novelty song, of all things.


And yet, that’s not really the case here. It is a fun movie about truckers outrunning the law, with just the right amount of Peckinpah’s cynical boozy edge to make this stand-out from other similar joints playing at the drive-in around this time. Occasionally, I’d be surprised as I felt the edge poke me, and it was pretty sharp too, with its attitudes towards The Law and the dangers of being Black in America.

But they were welcome surprises.


Of the truckers, Franklyn Ajaye’s “Spider Mike” gets the worst of it from Johnny Pig, on account of his dark skin; Ajaye, by the way, is known mostly as a comedian, and he’s one of those dudes who I’m sure is living well, but I feel should be/should’ve been much bigger. I’m guessing he’s one of those “comedian’s comedian” types, in that he’s super-respected in his field, if not necessarily recognized by the general public.


I’m sure once he’s dead, he’ll become The Most Popular Comedian In The World on social media and everybody and their mother is going to go on about how great he was, the way everybody and their mother suddenly made Mr. Paul Mooney the most popular comedian in the world on social media after he died.


Kris Kristofferson’s “Rubber Duck” is very much a Peckinpah kind of protagonist, with his own code of conduct that might not make sense to others, but allows him to enter his house justified. He also goes shirtless for what seems like half the running time, which made me imagine if Matthew McConaughey ever considered starring in a remake somewhere along the way.


I don’t believe in heroes, but I suppose if I had to pick one, Mr. Kristofferson wouldn’t be a bad one to emulate: Rhodes Scholar, boxer, Army Ranger. He flew helicopters, swept floors, worked on an oil rig, and wrote some of the greatest goddamn songs in the history of music. He was also “Whistler” in the BLADE movies.


Ernest Borgnine plays such a bastard in this one, “Dirty Lyle” is his name, and he’s an oinker of the worst kind: A corrupt cop who shakes down the truckers unlucky enough to drive down his highway.


In real life, Borgnine revealed in an interview that his secret to long life was that he masturbated a lot; later, he said in another interview that he said that because the interviewer wouldn’t let up with that question, and he figured that answer would shut the dude up. In reality, he said, his long life was probably the result of becoming a vegetarian 35 years prior. Now that’s just disgusting and uncalled for, Ernie, you dirty old man.

Anyway, this was good times, man. I think this movie, SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT, and a six-pack of Coors will cure whatever ails ya.


It’s just so 70s in the best of ways, that old-school vibe with dudes talking to each other on the CB, taking showers together in their underwear. Maybe that’s why Ali MacGraw had short hair in this, to mix in easier with the rest of the dudes. #backyardmovienight For the Silo, E.F. Contentment.