The newly designed, British 7.5-tonne zero emission Tevva Electric Truck will employ Bender equipment to monitor insulation resistance and identify potential electrical issues before they can impact the truck’s performance - enhancing the inherent reliability of this ground-breaking vehicle.
The Tevva electric truck is at the forefront of UK electric vehicle design and is the nation’s first electric commercial vehicle intended for mass production. It has a range of up to 160 miles (250 km) in pure battery electric vehicle (BEV) form or up to 310 miles (500 km) employing patented range extender technology (REX) using hydrogen fuel cells.
The IR155 insulation monitoring device (IMD) developed and supplied by Bender will provide continuous monitoring of the insulation resistance between the insulated and active HV‑conductors of the unearthed DC electrical drive system and the reference earth. It will detect insulation faults before they create any performance issues, enabling preventive and predictive maintenance and ensuring the integrity of the system.
The IR155 technology monitors the condition of the insulation on the DC side as well as on the AC motor side of the electrical drive system delivering continuous measurement of the insulation resistance up to 10 MΩ within IT power systems up to 1000 VDC.
Incorporating Bender monitoring technology improves safety for drivers and staff, while supporting preventive maintenance techniques to ensure a reliable freight transport solution for end users.
The Tevva Truck is a third-generation vehicle, representing the culmination of seven years of engineering development and the learning gathered from over 200,000 miles (350,000 km) of in-fleet trials. Production is scheduled to begin in July 2022 at a brand-new 11,000 m sq. manufacturing facility in the London Thames Freeport area.
Tevva aims to put Britain at the forefront of the design and manufacturing of zero emissions commercial vehicles and address the immediate industry need to electrify, with the United Kingdom and Europe committed to a target of net zero emissions by 2050 alongside a proposed ban on the sale of all polluting vehicles by 2035.
Bender UK Managing Director Gareth Brunton commented: “I am delighted to see the progress made by Tevva. We have eagerly watched this vehicle design develop, and I am excited to finally see that the vehicles will be rolling off the production line in Q3, 2022”.