Electric trucks, Tevva CEO Asher Bennett: “More government support needed in the UK”

Asher Bennett is CEO and founder of Tevva, among the most interesting newcomers and manufacturer of electric trucks, as well as hydrogen-powered vehicles. In view of the next decarbonization targets, Bennett wrote a message aimed at highlighting the fact that, without political support, the widespread adoption of zero-emission commercial vehicles won’t be easy, not only in the UK. As a matter of fact, Tevva is producing its very first electric truck model, a 7.5 ton vehicle. Further trucks with hydrogen range extenders are awaited in the years to come. Here is a sum of what Asher Bennett declared.

“The IPCC just this week said that the world can still avoid the worst of climate collapse with genuine change, but that if we keep emitting at the current rate, the carbon budget for 1.5C will be exhausted by 2030. That juxtaposition of hope and grim reality should be enough to focus everyone’s minds on the opportunities and threats that lie ahead”.

“At Tevva we believe that further government action is required to ensure that the UK achieves its net zero goals in the best and fastest possible way for the good of the environment, economy and British people. The recent Net Zero Review set out the ‘historic opportunity’ offered by net zero in the UK, by creating a new era of change and opportunity. Yet the report also made clear that more should be done to ‘back business’ and reap the economic benefits”.

“Bring truck incentives in-line with those found in Europe”

“We’re asking the UK government to bring truck incentives in-line with those found in Europe. Brexit put us in a position where as a nation we were free from EU state aid rules which limited the amount of support governments could give to certain industries. Yet, the UK is lagging behind its European neighbours when it comes to incentives for electric truck adoption”.

“We appreciate the British government’s support which enables us to make our 7.5t battery-electric truck even more appealing to fleets. But for this country to meet its net zero goals, more action is needed to stimulate electric vehicle manufacturing in the UK, which is really the only bright spot in an industry that has reached its lowest ebb for over 60 years”.

Tevva: electric trucks are the future of transportation

“The electrification of trucks is inevitable, and the technology has developed to a point where an electric truck is a viable proposition for many operators. There’s a huge appetite among fleets for electric trucks, as the opportunity to reduce emissions makes good business sense. Obviously there needs to be trust in the technology and clarity on total cost of ownership (TCO). Tevva is working with its customers to address both of these points and we’re confident that our electric trucks will save them money over the lifetime of the vehicle and improve their fleet and driver performance”.