TEST, SAFETY & SYSTEMS
trucks, Tevva’s engineers successfully integrated ZF’s electronic brake system (EBS) with its vehicle control unit (VCU) to create a regenerative braking system capable of recuperating up to four times more energy than a traditional air brake system. The technological advancements achieved by the two companies has enabled the development of a modern EBS system to control the blending of friction braking with the e-motor, reducing brake wear and tear. The system transfers the driver’s deceleration request electronically to all braking system components to shorten response time, balance brake forces and provide ease of braking and efficient brake management. “The key challenge for all EV
The co-developed zero emissions truck
apart from all of the EV products from existing diesel vehicle manufacturers.”
ENHANCED REGEN BRAKING To improve the range of its electric
propulsion engineers is to maximise the available regen power at all times without creating vehicle stability issues on wet or icy roads,” Bennett says. “Through cross functional working at MIRA in the UK and in ZF’s development centre in Germany, the team were able to ensure that the system is able to make use of vehicle sensors to deliver dry road regen energy recovery four times greater than for a non-integrated system.” Tevva’s engineers successfully met
a range of stringent testing criteria for the company’s truck to receive ZF’s approval, working on fine-tuning the truck’s VCU and enhance its compatibility with the EBS. Testing of the adapted system involved a variety of conditions, gradients and surface types at the ZF test track in Jeversen, Germany.
A breakdown of the regenerative braking system
The ZF electronic braking system “Over 80,000 miles have been
completed in vehicle testing and this has included hot weather and high altitude testing in Spain, cold weather testing in Finland, and braking system sign-off in Germany,” Bennett adds. “In the UK we have completed rolling road and durability testing at UTAC Milbrook, MIRA and on UK roads as well as customer miles in and around Manchester. This testing supports our European Whole Vehicle Type Approval certificate giving us confidence that the vehicle is not only ready for sale from a durability and compliance perspective, but also that it is a quieter, more comfortable, easier to drive and zero emissions alternative to diesel propulsion.” The tests confirmed that the
implementation of the EBS into the Tevva VCU allowed for a safe incorporation of regenerative braking up to 180kW, whereas the traditional air brake system had limited passive regen to around 40kW due to safety considerations. Tevva’s 7.5 tonne BEV truck has now begun mass production at the company’s London facility, and will be followed by a 7.5 tonned hydrogen electric truck benefiting from a hydrogen range extender enhancing vehicle range to 354 miles. The Tevva BEV offers up to 140 miles (227km) from its 105kWh battery on a single charge and is ideal for last-mile and urban delivery fleets.
For more information visit
www.tevva.com
www.engineerlive.com 35
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