Newly developed hydrogen-powered light commercial vehicles from automotive and energy developer First Hydrogen are ready to start testing on UK roads.

The vehicles have already completed hydrogen fuelling at 700-bar pressure; a key performance parameter

Revealed earlier this year and now in the final stage of development, the vehicles have already completed hydrogen fuelling at 700-bar pressure at the ITM/MOTIVE site in Rainham, Essex, close to the AVL facility in Basildon where the vehicles are being assembled.

The 700-bar fill is a key performance parameter as it is the pressure rate that supplies enough energy to give the vehicle a 400-600km range (around 250 to 370 miles) within a few minutes. When commissioned, drivers will be able to see the energy storage and power flow within the vehicle on the van’s dashboard display.

First Hydrogen’s two demonstrator vehicles are due for delivery within the next month. The vehicle will now undergo test runs at the Horiba Mira proving ground and test track located near Birmingham.

First Hydrogen’s LCVs have been certified for use on UK roads and will be used in a series of real-world trials with major fleet operators in the UK, starting in January 2023. Businesses already signed up to the trials include major grocery chains, infrastructure and utility providers and healthcare services.

The trials, run in conjunction with the Aggregated Hydrogen Freight Consortium (AHFC), will enable First Hydrogen to gain feedback for its next-generation 2.0 LCVs and engage with future potential customers. They will also allow fleet managers to experience operating zero-emission hydrogen vehicles within their company.

Steve Gill, CEO at First Hydrogen Automotive, said: “The first fuelling is an incredibly exciting moment for us, which signifies a major step along the road to the wider production and launch of our First Hydrogen vehicles. We are eager to enter final testing and commence trials with operators early next year, which will help us to refine our end-to-end Hydrogen-as-a-Service solution and assess the commercial appetite for hydrogen vehicles as a way to achieve zero emissions in the transport sector.

“Following the European Union’s outline to drastically cut vehicle CO2 emissions in the next 12 years, we are very confident that our plans for zero-emission commercial vehicles are absolutely on the right track.”