At AVL Powertrain’s engineering plant in Basildon, UK, First Hydrogen Corp. invited Ballard Power Systems to test drive their first-generation zero-emission light commercial vehicle (“LCV”).
These first-of-their-kind LCVs fuelled by hydrogen were created by a collaboration between Ballard and First Hydrogen. The two Generation I vehicles combine the First Hydrogen in-house technology with the most recent LCS fuel cell stack from Ballard.
Major fleet operators who have signed up to drive the hydrogen zero-emission LCVs will deploy the first hydrogen cars. The test drive process will soon begin with one of the biggest fleet operators in the UK. The UK Aggregated Hydrogen Freight Consortium has received participation applications from a total of 15 significant fleet operators (“AHFC”). Commercial operators from a variety of industries, such as grocery, express delivery, utilities, and roadside assistance, have the chance to test hydrogen-powered fuel-cell electric vehicles alongside their current fleets and compare various technologies throughout the trials.
Fleet managers, refueling services, and potential customers can test fuel cell vehicles in practical settings thanks to the Generation I vehicles, which serve as proof of concept. To support improved vehicle efficiency, the LCVs are now undergoing vehicle evaluation and mileage accumulation. First Hydrogen can use the data gathered to precisely predict fuel consumption and vehicle range under various driving scenarios and to guide the development of new vehicles.
The results are significant because they allow the business to give potential clients information about the total cost of ownership (or “TCO”). Ballard’s LCS fuel cell stack technology was chosen because of its lifetime durability and maximum performance, which further optimize TCO and increase the viability of the switch to zero-emission vehicles. First Hydrogen is also creating an end-to-end “Hydrogen-as-a-Service” solution, offering fleets green hydrogen fuel, fleet aftercare, and zero-emission cars, to help the transition to net zero.
By 2030, it is anticipated that the worldwide LCV market would have grown at a compound yearly growth rate of 5.1%, reaching USD 751.86 billion (2022-2030). First Hydrogen is driving the transformation in the LCV sector with practical, clean fleet solutions to satisfy the market’s need to fulfill emissions standards and to profit from growing zero-emission infrastructure.
CCO of Ballard Power Systems, David Mucciacciaro, said: “We were excited to have a hands-on look at First Hydrogen’s LCV and observe how our industry-leading fuel cell technology functions in a real-world, light-duty setting. Our intentions to increase Ballard’s fuel cell output will allow the fuel cell market to scale up as we continue to see growth in investments and consumer demand.”
Said Robert Campbell, First Hydrogen Energy’s CEO: “The first generation of zero-emission LCVs produced by First Hydrogen was developed in large part because of our close collaboration with Ballard. Ballard came to view the vans for the first time, and we wanted their team to see them in use before they participated in our important fleet trial program in the upcoming weeks.”
