Wales and West Utilities (WWU) has covered more than 1,200 miles – 117 miles per day – in a hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle (FCEV) during fleet trials.   

Travelling on mostly urban roads and highways in some of south Wales’ coldest conditions, the First Hydrogen van demonstrated the full power capability of the fuel cell module, with outputs higher than 60kW in transient accelerations, showing capability for demanding duties, such as carrying heavier payloads, towing and powering auxiliary equipment (onboard power).

The trial had already shown that there was no decrease in vehicle performance or range when operating in colder temperatures.

The FCEV was shared by two drivers from WWU’s network emergency and metering services team, who are responsible for emergency metering work for more than 7.5 million 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. 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, said: “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 another driver in the vehicle trials, added: “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.”

More detail on the FCEV’s deployment with WWU can be seen below

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, said that he was 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,” he added.

“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.”

The trials have provided First Hydrogen and WWU with important data that will help to inform future development.

Steve Gill, executive director automotive at First Hydrogen, said: “We’re thrilled with the feedback from Wales and 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.”

He explained: “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, 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, 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.

Fleet management business Rivus was the first company to carry out real-world testing of a prototype 3.5-tonne hydrogen fuel cell van from First Hydrogen and gave Fleet News exclusive access to its findings with an interview last year. 

Its studies have revealed several advantages compared to battery electric vans (BEVs), including improved payload, longer range, better efficiency and quicker refuelling.

SSE has also completed a four-week trial with the First Hydrogen fuel cell van.