Engineering news
British electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Tevva, which is building its 7.5 tonne vehicles at Tilbury in Essex, announced completion of the new system today (13 June).
Tevva engineers worked with global supplier ZF to integrate its electronic brake system (EBS) into the zero-emission trucks, which use a blend of regenerative and compressed air brakes for safety and responsiveness.
The team finetuned the lorry’s vehicle control unit (VCU) to improve compatibility with the EBS, which controls 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,” a Tevva announcement said.
The system can recuperate up to four-times more energy than a conventional compressed air brake system, Tevva said, boosting the EV’s range.
“Working with ZF is a crucial step in the momentum we are building as a truck manufacturer. The system has been adapted for use with our regen system – when the brake pedal is pushed, most of the 'braking' is handled by regen, meaning that the drive system slows the vehicle down,” said Uzair Jilani, Tevva lead engineer for drive and brake systems.
“The conventional braking system is still needed to bring the truck to a complete stop, but this double layer of safety is an excellent aid to more efficient driving. It also means that the hardware undergoes less strain, to extend the braking system's life in the long run.”
Testing of the adapted system, which took place at the ZF test track in Jeversen, Germany, involved a variety of conditions, gradients and surface types.
The Tevva battery EV, which is aimed at ‘last mile’ and urban deliveries, has a range of up to 227km (140 miles) from its 105kWh battery on a single charge. A future hydrogen range extender will boost range to 570km (354 miles), the company said.
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