The Future of Electric Freight
Asher Bennett, CEO and Founder, Tevva.
I recently had the opportunity to discuss the future of electric freight on an exclusive webinar hosted by CNBC’s Ron Insana. I was joined on the panel by Brian Keane, CEO of U.S.-based Smartpower, an NGO that markets clean energy to consumers, companies, utilities, and governments. We discussed where the e-freight industry stands, where it is going, and where Tevva is leading it.
One of the most important takeaways from our discussion was that the transportation sector has a long way to go to get to zero-emissions, which it must, given the amount of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) transportation and freight emit to the atmosphere. Nonetheless, the sector has all of the tools it needs to develop greener, more sustainable methods of long-distance transport. The industry will be unrecognizable even less than a decade from now given the bold commitments and visions set by manufacturers and developers. The hurdle now is actionizing these plans and making them a reality.
To build and sell electric trucks successfully, the truck has to do the job it was meant to: haul heavy loads across long-distances. But most importantly, it must save money for freight companies and for developers. Developing electric vehicles is expensive, and at Tevva we focus on the crucial parts: developing our own batteries, range extenders, software, and propulsion systems — in order to minimize these overhead costs.
We also believe that utilizing hydrogen will be a key turning point in the green energy transition. We have solved the issue of range with our fuel-cell range extension technology — our trucks will still rely on the grid, but have the ease of a backup if needed. [For more on why hydrogen will change the industry for the better, read our Marketing Director David Thackray’s blog here.
We are seeing tremendous growth in market demand, and since Tevva’s inception a few years ago, the amount of interest and partnerships we’ve formed with major companies has increased exponentially. We are discussing with these companies our rollout plans for next year and ensuring that our trucks will be ready for delivery. We are consistently adding strong, innovative talent to our team. It’s an exciting time to be a part of this industry, and people are eager to play a role in the transition.
