IVECO is preparing to produce and market heavy-duty battery and heavy-duty fuel cell electric vehicles under its own brand
The latest vehicle evolution from Industrial Vehicles Corporation (IVECO) has been announced and it’s a step into the zero-emissions future for heavy vehicles.
In the next step since taking full control of German company Nikola, IVECO has announced it will release heavy-duty battery electric and heavy-duty fuel cell trucks under its own moniker in the coming months.
The decision is in line with the company’s ethos of simplification of brands and structure that been key to the development of IVECO since its launch in 1975 with the merge of five different European brands.
While the brand retains its Italian heritage, based on the dominant origin companies of Fiat, OM and Lancia Veicoli, it is now headquartered in Amsterdam, with operations that stretch across the world.
The announcement of the new heavy-duty alternative energy vehicles follows on from the local launch of the S-Way series of heavy duty trucks featuring a total overhaul of IVECO’s heavy duty offering.
The IVECO HD BEV and FCEV feature an electric axle co-designed and produced by FPT Industrial, IVECO’s specialist powertrain sister brand; batteries are supplied by Proterra, and fuel cell technology and key components by Bosch.
These born-electric vehicles are based on the IVECO S-Way platform, which has been specifically redesigned to support both fuel cell and battery propulsion technology, thanks to a modular architecture.
The battery electric truck is marketed as having a range of up to 500 km with a total battery capacity of 738 kWh, with charging power up to 350 kW.
IVECO says the truck would suit hub-to-hub delivery applications, a wide range of regional work, and even applications requiring extended mileage with charging opportunity during mandated driver stops.
It says the Artic 4×2 configuration will be the first to enter the European market in the last quarter of 2023.
The IVECO fuel cell truck has a range of up to 800 km and a refuelling time of under 20 minutes.
It has been designed to hold up to 70 kg of “H2 usable” energy at 700-bar pressure and is being hailed by IVECO as “a real game changer in zero tailpipe emissions long-haulage applications”.
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Australian and New Zealand trials of the E-Daily are continuing for IVECO
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The first units of the IVECO HD FCEV will be delivered in France, Switzerland and Germany at end of 2023, as planned in the H2Haul European project co-financed by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, aimed at accelerating the deployment of hydrogen solutions in the commercial transport industry and enabling the large-scale fuel cell truck market in the coming years.
Both vehicles are produced in the Ulm manufacturing facility, Iveco Group’s multi-brand German site.
Vehicles will be marketed and supported through the extensive IVECO dealer network which includes 254 sales and service outlets around Europe.
In Australia and New Zealand the heavy trucks are a way off.
Related Story: IVECO showcases latest fire truck
At this point IVECO has the 70C eDaily preproduction unit previewed at this year’s Brisbane Truck Show continuing to undergo testing at IVECO’s Customer and Innovation Centre (CIC) and on local roads.
It says the the first of five full production eDaily vehicles – a combination of van and cab chassis variants – will soon arrive in Australia and New Zealand and will be placed within key customer fleets for evaluation and to gain real world operator feedback in local applications and conditions.
The additional eDaily models will also provide further opportunities for key partners to further familiarise themselves with the vehicles. These partners including several tertiary institutions, Government departments and private enterprise, who will assist IVECO with training, tooling and recharging infrastructure in support of the model roll-out.
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Electric powered IVECO’s are here in Australia, but the heavy trucks will launch first in Europe
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