• Oxford-based wholesale supplier will trial Tevva’s electric range extender vehicle for six months as part of REEV* trial
• Savona is first UK foodservice market customer to use multi-temperature truck as part of Tevva Electrify initiative
• A dual-temperature body on 12-tonne medium-duty truck will operate at -20 and +3 degrees Celsius

Independent food supplier, Savona Foodservice, is the latest company to run one of Tevva Motors Ltd’s range-extended electric vehicles (REEV) for a trial.

The premium wholesale supplier, which has been trading for more than 50 years, is the second customer to sign up to Tevva’s innovative Electrify initiative, which allows businesses to hire a 12-tonne eTruck for six months in order to demonstrate the environmental and financial benefits.

Savona, which has depots in Oxford and Ilfracombe, will hire a 3.9-metre wheelbase, 12t GVW truck with tail lift and a multi-temperature body capable of operating at -20 degrees to enable the transportation of frozen foods from its depot in Kidlington to businesses in central London and Oxford.

The company will trial the eTruck in a variety of conditions and environments, with a view to providing a seamless transition for its drivers as well as a more environmentally sensitive service. Assuming a successful trial period, Savona will look to incorporate this vehicle as part of its permanent fleet and will consider additional vehicles during 2020 as part of its ongoing fleet renewal programme.

Midway through a three-year plan to bring food wholesale into the 21st Century, Savona has already pioneered online trading and ePOD (Proof of Delivery) software in the food industry and has been seeking a solution to deliver goods with the least possible environmental impact.

With Oxford among the first cities in the UK to implement a zero-emissions zone (ZEZ) – which will restrict access to all but electric vehicles – the partnership with Tevva means that Savona will be ideally-placed to offer complete continuity of service.

Savona Foodservice managing director, Mike Morgan, said: “We have been on the search for a suitable delivery solution for some time but conversations with other companies stopped dead in their tracks as soon as we start discussing running refrigeration down to -20 degrees.

“We’re delighted to have found a partner whose approach is collaborative and forward-thinking and who have a solution that works and is good for more than just the last mile. Just as important is their intelligent approach to energy management using their PREMS (predictive range extension management system) technology, which uses geofences to autonomously control the deployment of the range extender to maximise battery capacity.

“We anticipate that this solution will prove to be at least as commercially viable as traditional, diesel-based options.”

David Thackray, sales and marketing director at Tevva, said: “Savona is the first customer on our Tevva Electrify scheme to use a temperature-controlled EREV solution; the foodservice industry is hugely important, as it is worth £57bn and is the UK’s fourth-largest employer.

“Naturally, logistics is only part of that but, as emissions regulations tighten ever further and more clean air and zero-emissions zones are implemented, like the ZEZ imminent in Savona’s hometown, the businesses that serve the food service industry need to act now to put solutions in place.”

*Range Extended Electric Vehicle

About Tevva Motors Ltd:
Tevva Motors Ltd was established in September, 2013, by Israeli entrepreneur Asher Bennett. A former Israeli Navy submarine officer, Bennett realised that the diesel-electric hybrid technology used in subs was a perfect solution for the medium duty, urban distribution industry. Range, payload and cost efficiency are the same challenges in both sectors, where safety, reliability and durability of the product are also of paramount importance.

The electrification of the medium duty, urban delivery industry is all but inevitable, given Government and EU Parliament regulations but the scale, economics and timescale for achieving this is still largely unclear across the commercial vehicle OEM sector.

Forging a pioneering path towards delivering the perfect solution, Tevva has adopted a precision engineering approach to develop a range of innovative eTruck technologies that, combined, can lower harmful emissions to zero or almost zero, decrease vehicle running costs by at least half, minimise total cost of ownership starting from day one, eliminate range anxiety and provide drivers and operators with a more satisfying driving experience.

Perhaps most importantly, Tevva’s offering is available immediately and has already been proven to be entirely viable thanks to existing in-service vehicles taken on by global logistics giants such as UPS and Kuehne + Nagel, amongst others. The certainty of the technologies and the peace of mind that comes with the real-world proof that it works means that the future of electrification is already here.

About Savona FoodService:
Savona is an independent foodservice supplier with over 50 years trading, providing a trusted, flexible solution for chefs. Founded in Oxfordshire, with a second depot in the South West, the company has grown alongside an expanding customer base to cover Southern England and the Midlands. The ever-growing range of ambient, produce, chilled, frozen, and non-food products provide an extensive selection of high-quality products suited to the requirements of the customer.
Both depots are proud to have been awarded the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety which ensures product safety, integrity, legality and quality, including the operational controls.

Savona is a proud member of the Country Range Group, widely considered to be the finest own brand in the business. Savona has improved buying power of branded goods as well as “own brand” goods under the Country Range brand. Through this membership, Savona also provide the industry magazine StirItUp and promotions.
The company are also known for their pioneering Progressive Web App, allowing customers to order at their convenience online. As well as being an order placement platform, this also offers various digital marketing opportunities for suppliers, resulting in significant campaign analytics – an exclusive to UK foodservice.