First Hydrogen has completed hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle (FCEV) trials with gas distribution network Wales & West Utilities (WWU), accruing the vehicle’s highest-ever mileage.
Over the four-week trial, the first-of-its-kind van completed more than 2,000 km (>1,200 miles), travelling up to 189 km / 117 miles per day on mostly urban roads and highways in some of South Wales’ coldest conditions.
The vehicle also demonstrated the full power capability of the fuel cell module, with outputs higher than 60kW in transient accelerations. This showed capability for demanding duties, such as carrying heavier payloads, towing, and powering auxiliary equipment (onboard power).
The trial had already shown that vehicle performance and range did not decrease when operating in colder temperatures.
Driver feedback
Two drivers from WWU’s Network Emergency & Metering Services team shared the FCEV. The team is responsible for emergency metering work for more than 7.5 million customers across Wales and the southwest of England. Most of the vehicle’s journeys were to customer callouts, averaging 5-6 visits per day. The team has to respond quickly to calls and often covers long distances while transporting the bulky equipment needed for repairs.
Alun Jones, First Call Operative (FCO) for WWU and driver in First Hydrogen’s trials says: “First Hydrogen’s van is lovely to drive and allowed us to get on with our job. The fact you can quickly refuel rather than charge up overnight is a massive advantage for us as sometimes we respond to calls from our homes in the middle of the night. I can definitely see the hydrogen vans working at WWU in terms of the efficiency we need.”
Steve Morgan, FCO for WWU and driver in the vehicle trials, says: “Our van is everything for us; it’s our office and it’s how we transport our equipment and charge our laptops and phones so we can respond to call outs. Therefore, we need vehicles that are comfortable and reliable and that can carry everything we need. We do a lot of miles so also need the range.”
Trial feedback
WWU is exploring zero emissions vehicle technology to suit its operational requirements and the trials provided the transport team with the opportunity to experience the benefits of a FCEV first-hand.
Stephen Offley, Transport Manager for WWU comments: “We are impressed with how the van operates and its overall performance – particularly as this is a prototype vehicle and we were breaking new ground by creating our own hydrogen vehicle ecosystem. Testing the vehicle with our FCOs meant we could demonstrate its use in a front-line service role and provide credible findings for us to share with our stakeholders and other fleet managers. The data generated from the trials also gives us a case to push for fixed hydrogen infrastructure in the area so we can benefit from faster refuelling and operational simplicity.”
Generating data to fuel zero emission adoption
Crucially, the trials have provided First Hydrogen and WWU with important data that will help to inform future development.
Steve Gill, Executive Director Automotive, First Hydrogen, says: “We’re thrilled with the feedback from Wales & West Utilities. Having covered more miles in a single trial than ever before, we have generated a significant amount of vehicle data. Sharing the van between two drivers, neither of whom has driven a zero emission vehicle before, has given us insight into how different driving styles can affect performance. By reviewing this data and speaking to the WWU team, we have identified further opportunities to improve fuel consumption and optimise efficiency.
“We have also gained valuable data, which enables us to model Total Cost of Operations (TCO), key information for fleet operators considering a transition to hydrogen fuel. We have presented our initial findings to the WWU board who responded positively and are keen to progress with next steps.”
Importantly, these trials proved that hydrogen mobility is still possible for fleet operators without access to fixed hydrogen refuelling infrastructure. Protium Energy Solutions provided green hydrogen to fuel the vehicle, and Hyppo Hydrogen Solutions supplied a re-deployable hydrogen refuelling unit.
DataHorizzon Research reported the global hydrogen fuel cell vehicles market is projected to grow from US$2.2 billion (£1.7 billion) in 2023 to US$82.1 billion (£64.2 billion) by 2032, at 49.1% CAGR. It anticipates that fleet operators, such as WWU, will drive zero-emission vehicle sales – which includes hydrogen fuel cell commercial vehicles – as they strive to decarbonise in line with government mandates to phase out fossil fuel vehicles by 2035.
