First Hydrogen Corp. has partnered with fleet management provider and member of the U.K. Aggregated Hydrogen Freight Consortium Rivus to start operational trials for hydrogen-fuel-cell powered vehicles.
The consortium works together with large U.K. fleet operators to accelerate the commercial rollout of fuel-cell vans and trucks and hydrogen refueling infrastructure.
Rivus will test First Hydrogen’s light commercial vehicles for a month in the Birmingham and Sheffield areas, which are served by hydrogen refueling stations. Rivus will run First Hydrogen’s vehicle on pre-planned routes to measure performance under different driving conditions.
Telematics and onboard instruments will capture data on vehicle performance, efficiency and fuel consumption. The findings will contribute to First Hydrogen’s overall evaluation and mileage accumulation program, which supports vehicle optimization and determines the total cost of ownership.
The trials enable fleet managers from sectors including grocery, express delivery, utilities, healthcare and roadside assistance to experience the benefits of hydrogen vehicles within their own operations. Hydrogen powertrains possess a greater range, higher payload capacity and faster refueling than equivalent battery electric vehicles.
First Hydrogen’s vehicle has a range of 400 km to 600 km on a single fuel tank, which takes approximately five minutes to fill. The program enables operators to compare different vehicle technologies in action. Fifteen fleet operators have registered an interest in taking part in the trial program.
Upon completion of the trial, Rivus will produce its own independent report analyzing the performance of the vehicle, which will be available to fleet managers and Rivus customers. The report will share insight into the benefits and practicality of adopting hydrogen mobility.
“In light of 2030 targets, this knowledge enables us to help operators with critical fleets that need to transition to zero emission,” says Thomas Maerz, CDO at Rivus. “Providing this support gives our customers confidence in their transition and fuels our ambition to create a cleaner and more sustainable future.”
