First Hydrogen successfully completes FCEV trials

First Hydrogen has successfully completed hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle (FCEV) trials with gas distribution network Wales & West Utilities (WWU), accruing the vehicle’s highest ever mileage.

The first-of-its-kind van completed more than 1,200 miles over the four-week trial, travelling up to 117 miles per day on mostly urban roads and highways in some of South Wales’ coldest conditions, demonstrating there was no decrease in vehicle performance or range when operating in colder temperatures.

The vehicle also revealed the full power capability of the fuel cell module, with outputs higher than 60kW in transient accelerations, showing a capability for demanding duties, such as carrying heavier payloads, towing and powering auxiliary equipment.

The trial also proved that hydrogen mobility is still possible for fleet operators without access to fixed hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, says First Hydrogen. The trials were supported by Protium Energy Solutions, which provided green hydrogen to fuel the vehicle and Hyppo Hydrogen Solutions, who supplied a re-deployable hydrogen refuelling unit.

The FCEV was shared by two drivers from WWU’s network emergency and metering services team which is responsible for emergency metering work for more than 7.5m customers across Wales and the south west of England. Most of the vehicle’s journeys were travelling to customer call outs, averaging five to six visits per day.

“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,” said Steve Gill, executive director automotive, First Hydrogen.