The Vehicle Certification Authority has authorized First Hydrogen’s two light commercial vehicles (LCVs) for use on roads in the United Kingdom, excluding Northern Ireland.
Beginning in January 2023 for a total of 24 months, the cars will be able to participate in customer trials on public roads. During this time, the company hopes to gather valuable proprietary data from fleet owners and spark significant interest in potential purchases in the future. The vans will be tested under real-world conditions with major fleet operators in the UK at first, giving the company the opportunity to publicly display its innovative design and hasten the adoption of fuel cell-powered vehicles by fleet owners of light commercial vehicles to replace their aging diesel fleets. The trials will involve a total of 13 UK fleet operators from a range of sectors, including telecom, energy, infrastructure, delivery, food, and healthcare.
The benefits fuel cell electric vehicles have over battery electric vehicles in terms of range and refueling speed will be demonstrated by these two demonstrator vehicles. First-generation hydrogen vehicles have a single, quick refueling range of 400–600 km. As First Hydrogen builds up its vehicle demonstrator program to test the vehicles in the European Union, the United States, and Canada, the certification represents a significant milestone for the Company and will aid in obtaining other certifications that are necessary. According to Allied Research, the market for light commercial vehicles is expected to grow to $786.5 billion by 2030, and First Hydrogen’s vehicles will aid the industry in achieving its zero-emission goals.
